Secretary Noem Fired After Congressman Neguse Exposes “Wholesale Corruption” at DHS
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over reported “frustrations” with her involvement in a $220 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign featuring Noem on horseback in front of Mount Rushmore.
Congressman Neguse was part of the tipping point that led to Noem’s ousting, raising questions during Wednesday’s Judiciary Committee hearing that were similar to those posed by Republican Senator John Kennedy about allegations of fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest surrounding the ad campaign.
“It is fraud, and ultimately, I think there's going to be accountability,” Neguse said on Wednesday.
View Rep. Neguse’s questioning of Secretary Noem HERE.
The Colorado congressman also joined Morning Joe on MS NOW on Thursday to call for Secretary Noem’s termination and to further discuss his line of questioning.
View Rep. Neguse’s interview on Morning Joe HERE.
On Secretary Noem’s $220 Million Taxpayer-Funded Ad Campaign:
JOHNATHAN LEMIRE (HOST): Congressman, we want to turn now to the hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Noem. You had questions for her. Got a lot of attention. You focused on $143 million contract that DHS gave to a company with ties to her political allies back in South Dakota. For those who aren't following closely, give a quick summary as to what you were talking about and whether you found her answers sufficient.
REP. NEGUSE: Yeah, well, first let me just say, Jonathan, I think, unfortunately, one of the political realities that we have to grapple with is that these hearings and oversight is kind of viewed through a very partisan lens, but the hearing yesterday, and the hearing in the Senate, and the very compelling questions that were posed by my colleagues, including, by the way, to their credit, Republican Senator Kennedy and Senator Tillis in the Senate, that perhaps this pierces through, because what we're talking about is bad and wholesale corruption. That's it. It's very simple. In this instance, you have the Secretary and senior officials at DHS treating taxpayer money as though it is their own. In this particular example, it's a $143 million ad campaign that Secretary Noem authorized. You may be familiar with these ads. These are ads of her at Mount Rushmore and other locations. And this contract was not put up for a competitive bid. The department skipped the typical procurement process and instead gave it to what looks to be a political ally, certainly someone who was involved in Republican politics. So, in my view, it is very clear that they are violating the law. It's the reason, of course, why the Secretary is trying to stop the Inspector General from investigating a host of different issues that have percolated over the Department of Homeland Security. I think the people of our country should be offended at the way in which they are grifting and ultimately committing fraud with taxpayer dollars.
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