Kristi Noem Used $150,000 of South Dakotans' Taxpayer Money to Fund Campaign Travel: Report

Recently released travel records reveal that former South Dakota Governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent over $150,000 in taxpayer money on political and personal travel that were unrelated to South Dakota.

The funds primarily covered security costs for Noem as she traveled across the country, often for campaign-related events, including multiple trips to Palm Beach, Florida, to support Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press analysis.

The records, which were made public following a lawsuit, detail expenses such as a $7,555 flight to Paris for a right-wing gathering, costs related to a Canadian bear hunt, a book tour and a visit to a Houston dentist whose work she then showcased on Instagram. Noem's office had long refused to disclose the costs, citing security concerns.

"Unfortunately, bad guys tend to make threats against high-profile public officials," Noem spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said. "When it was a political or personal trip, she paid for her own travel out of her political or personal funds."

While Murtaugh insists that security costs are a necessary part of a governor's duties, critics argue that the spending was an abuse of taxpayer money.

"It seems like an incredible amount of money," GOP State Senator Taffy Howard said, with former South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard stating that the spending "offends a lot of people."

Noem's role at the Department of the Homeland Security is particularly high-profile in Trump's administration, which has promised to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants in record numbers. The spending revelations emerge as the administration aggressively tackles another key focus: eliminating wasteful government spending.