Erasing Black History: How the Trump Administration Is Undermining Juneteenth
Congressional Republicans’ Tax Scam Would Raise the Estate Tax Threshold While Slashing Healthcare for Millions
Ahead of Juneteenth, New Report Reveals Trump’s Crusade to Erase Black History and Culture, Consolidate His Own Power
Accountable.US Statement on Supreme Court Decision in United States v. Skrmetti
ICYMI: Republicans’ Medicaid Cuts Are Deeply Unpopular
Site Menu

Washington D.C. – While the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds the Trump-House Republican budget plan balloons the national deficit by $2.4 trillion, a new analysis from government watchdog Accountable.US, first reported by Rolling Stone, found Kristi Noem’s DHS has so far abused 76.6 million of tax dollars on “thinly-veiled propaganda” ads about the border starring Noem herself – funneling taxpayer money to two LLCs run by longtime Republican political strategists, one of whom is connected to Noem’s “de facto” chief of staff Corey Lewandowski.

The overall $200 million ad campaign comes amid recession-inviting cuts outlined in the Trump budget that will strip healthcare coverage from nearly 11 million Americans, food assistance from 3 million households, and explode higher education and energy costs for millions more – all to pay for another trickle-down Trump tax giveaway that overwhelmingly benefits Trump’s billionaire donors and big corporations that price-gouge consumers. 

Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk: “President Trump and his allies in Congress say they have no choice but to rip away health care and basic food aid from millions of working people and seniors. Yet there’s somehow plenty of money for more Trump tax breaks for his billionaire donors and for an overtly political taxpayer funded vanity project to repair Kristi Noem’s image after her many scandals. That’s the Trump administration in a nutshell: there’s always enough taxpayer money to promote their brands or enrich themselves and wealthy insiders – but no money left to help everyday Americans get ahead.” 

KEY FINDINGS: 

  • Media company People Who Think, L.L.C. has so far received $13.8 million from DHS and is owned by Jay Connaughton, who advised Trump’s 2016 campaign and reportedly worked alongside Lewandowski on the 2023 campaign of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. As a “Special Government Employee,” Lewandowski has reportedly wielded “outsized” power as Noem’s top aide, including advising on DHS contracting spending. Lewandowski has helped nurture Noem’s political career since 2019, being credited as the one who “brought [Noem] into Trump’s circle.” The two have also long been rumored to be having an extramarital affair, which they have personally denied.
  • Another company, Safe America Media LLC, was incorporated just days before its first contract award and was registered to an address owned by Republican consultant Mike McElwain. McElwain is a longtime partner at Republican media firm DMM Media, a possible recipient of the eye-popping $62.8 million DHS has so far awarded in contracts to the LLC. DMM Media has supported numerous Republican campaigns over the past two decades, but its revenue from campaigns has never reached the order of magnitude of the DHS contracts.  

###

 

back to top