Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem is facing renewed scrutiny after a report revealed she failed to disclose a payment from a politically active nonprofit that promoted her national profile during her time as South Dakota governor.
According to newly released tax records, American Resolve—a dark money group—paid $80,000 to Ashwood Strategies, a limited liability company owned by Noem, in 2023.
The group categorized the payment as a 10 percent fee on $800,000 that Noem helped raise for the organization that year.
The payment was not listed on Noem’s federal disclosure forms, which were submitted as part of her Senate confirmation process to lead the DHS.
On the form, Noem reported Ashwood Strategies as a business used for “personal activities” outside her public role.
She also noted receiving a $140,000 book advance for her 2024 release, No Going Back, but the $80,000 from American Resolve was not included.
Both American Resolve and Ashwood Strategies were incorporated on the same day—June 22, 2023—in Delaware, a state known for minimal disclosure requirements, according to the Washington Examiner.
Public reporting noted that Ashwood Strategies shares its name with one of Noem’s horses, and American Resolve’s affiliated political action committee openly promotes efforts to place “Kristi and her team on the ground in key races across America.”
The existence of the payment was first reported on Monday by ProPublica, which reviewed American Resolve’s nonprofit filings and cross-referenced them with corporate records and Noem’s government disclosures.
According to the outlet, the connection between the entities and Noem’s financial benefit went unnoticed until she began undergoing federal ethics vetting during her confirmation.
Since South Dakota’s financial disclosure rules are relatively lenient, Noem’s formation of Ashwood Strategies drew no public attention at the time.
The existence of the LLC and its payment arrangement with American Resolve only became public through ethics reviews and document requests tied to her DHS confirmation earlier this year.
The White House and the DHS declined to comment on the matter and instead referred all inquiries to Noem’s personal attorney, Trevor Stanley.
In a statement, Stanley said Noem complied with all legal obligations.
“Then-Governor Noem fully complied with the letter and the spirit of the law,” he said, adding that the Office of Government Ethics “analyzed and cleared her financial information in regards to this entity.”
Pressed further about why the $80,000 payment was not reported, Stanley responded, “Secretary Noem fully disclosed all of her income on public documents that are readily available.”
He did not clarify whether the Office of Government Ethics had been made aware of the payment in question.
The new revelations follow other scrutiny surrounding Noem’s handling of taxpayer dollars.
A report earlier this year from the Associated Press revealed that over $600,000 in travel expenses were billed to South Dakota taxpayers during Noem’s tenure as governor, the Washington Examiner reports.
These trips reportedly included extensive 2024 campaign travel in support of President Donald Trump and a personal hunting trip in Canada.
Noem has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to her travel or use of public funds.
However, the revelation of undisclosed income continues to raise ethical concerns, especially given her role as the head of a major federal agency.
The development also highlights ongoing concerns about dark money groups and the transparency of public officials’ private financial interests.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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