Kristi Noem’s final DHS move comes to light as donor’s firm lands $259M deal
WASHINGTON, DC: Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly sanctioned a lucrative aircraft deal involving a company led by a political donor in the final hours of her tenure at DHS.
Noem was removed by President Donald Trump in March 2026 for alleged financial irregularities in an ad campaign, among other reasons.
She infuriated President Trump during tense Capitol Hill hearings by claiming he approved a $220 million taxpayer-funded DHS ad campaign featuring her on horseback in front of Mount Rushmore. Trump said he had no clue what she was talking about.
Noem hands lucrative deal to donor-linked firm in final hours as DHS secretary
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly, as her final act of service to the department, decided to buy five luxury jets from her political donor for millions more than they were worth.
According to a New York Times report published on Sunday, Oct 2, the DHS, then led by Noem, paid $108 million to Daedalus Aviation Corporation for a Boeing 737 Max 8, which the company bought for just $90 million months earlier.
Daedalus Aviation Corporation is a donor firm that previously donated a hefty sum to a pro-Noem political action committee.
Additionally, the agency agreed to buy two smaller luxury jets from Daedalus for $106 million. The company had acquired the pair for about $83 million, according to the report.
A pair of almost 20-year-old Boeing 737 passenger planes was also purchased from the same company for $45 million each. The aviation experts told the Times that the rate was far above the market price.
The agency initially claimed it had only spent $70 million on the jet, which came with marble showers, lavish bedrooms, and a manta ray skin table.
While she was fired for sanctioning deals to agencies she had professional or personal ties with, the former South Dakota secretary apparently has resources to carry one such purchases for three weeks until Markwayne Mullin assumed the DHS Secretary role.
Mullin feared losing more money as he attempted to reverse deal
The report further disclosed that after taking over as Secretary, Mullin attempted to reverse the deal but feared the agency could lose more money by backing out of the agreement with Daedalus.
White House officials told the outlet that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles shared Mullin's concerns about potential financial losses and advised him not to block the purchase.
DHS paid Daedalus approximately $464 million under the contract for 10 aircraft. The total included three luxury jets and seven older 737 passenger planes.
The 737s have since remained parked for months at an airport in Lake Charles, Louisiana. An internal document obtained by the outlet said DHS lacked the crews needed to operate them.
