Let's talk about the DHS IG looking into Noem and Lewandowski.... - Belle of the Ranch

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about the DHS IG looking into Noem and Lewandowski.

Kristi Noem's controversies apparently haven't ended yet, and the full picture of this one is one of those things that if you saw it in a TV show, you'd trash the writers for lazy writing. The inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security has launched what is apparently a pretty expansive investigation into how contracts were solicited and handled. The investigation reportedly includes looking into the involvement of former Secretary Kristi Noem and her de facto chief of staff Corey Lewandowski. Back in March, the inspector general, Joseph Cuffari, told Congress that DHS leadership had been hindering his work within the department.

Just for clarification, the IG investigation that includes Noem and Lewandowski is separate from the previously announced investigation that's looking into “what extent the DHS complied with applicable laws and regulations when awarding contracts and grants through means other than full and open competition during fiscal year 2025.”

Recently, Congress showed an immense amount of concern about how money at DHS was being spent. Of particular concern is about ads that the department spent $220 million on that prominently featured Noem. These were the expenditures that she said were approved by Trump that he said he didn't approve. And that's where this gets interesting.

Trump might be able to claim he didn't know about blowing almost a quarter of a billion dollars on ads. But you know who can't make that claim? Noem. I know you're saying that she was the Secretary of Homeland Security. Surely she would be able to say she was unaware of advertisement expenditures. Such decisions are certainly made below her level. Yeah, about that.

Do you remember how it certainly seemed like sometimes relief operations would be held up because funding wasn't approved? Yeah, that's right. The secretary who instituted a policy that stated any expenditure over $100,000 had to be personally approved by her is going to have an incredibly hard time pretending like she was unaware of hundreds of millions in spending.

According to the reporting, the probe has already moved to the point where investigators have ordered dozens of people in DHS to preserve records. That's generally a sign that the probe is going to move forward and it won't be cursory. That combined with the IG having complained to Congress about DHS blocking investigations under her watch, it seems like this one won't go away.

The new DHS boss, Markwayne Mullin, was asked about whether or not he would cooperate with the IG during his confirmation. And he said there won't be any gray area with him and that he'd follow all policies. Given that there's no way Markwayne can be implicated, it seems unlikely that he'd stick his neck out to cover up any impropriety that occurred before he arrived.

Just when most of us were certain Noem's time in the headlines was over the IG is dragging her prominence back from the gravel pit just in time for the midterms.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.