Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, while serving as South Dakota governor in 2023, received $80,000 from a dark money nonprofit promoting her political career—income she did not publicly disclose, according to ProPublica. The money was routed through Ashwood Strategies, a Delaware-based LLC Noem created during her second term.
The nonprofit, American Resolve Policy Fund, reported paying the sum as a 10% fundraising fee after Noem helped raise $800,000. The group raised $1.1 million in 2023 but had no employees, limited public activity, and used over a third of its funds on the payment to Noem’s LLC.
Experts called the arrangement unusual and possibly a violation of federal ethics rules. Noem omitted the $80,000 from the financial disclosure form required for her Trump Cabinet confirmation. Her lawyer claimed she fully complied with disclosure laws and that ethics officials cleared her submission.
Critics argue the income, tied to undisclosed donors, raises troubling questions about transparency and influence. South Dakota law bars governors from holding undisclosed side businesses during office.
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