Republican ad firms Strategic Media Services Inc. and Smart Media Group LLC reportedly placed Mount Rushmore ad featuring Secretary Kristi Noem
Senators request subcontracts, invoices, and communications, including with Noem, Lewandowski, and McLaughlin
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to Republican advertising companies Strategic Media Services Inc. and Smart Media Group LLC requesting information and records related to their agreements with Safe America Media, which reportedly engaged both companies to place taxpayer-funded ads featuring Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
“Pursuant to our responsibility to oversee DHS and federal contracting, our offices are reviewing allegations of misconduct arising from federal contract awards to assess whether and the extent to which laws and regulations governing honest services and federal procurement may require legislative reform,” wrote the lawmakers to both companies. Safe America Media, which is registered to the home address of longtime Republican political operative Mike McElwain, was awarded a $143 million no-bid contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to produce and place an ad campaign for the agency featuring Noem riding a horse at Mount Rushmore. The company was incorporated only seven days prior to receiving the award. These ads were filmed by The Strategy Group Company, which is led by the husband of Noem’s then-spokesperson and Assistant DHS Secretary, Tricia McLaughlin.
Safe America Media hired Strategic Media and Smart Media to place the ads. Both Noem and her chief advisor at DHS, Corey Lewandowski, have longstanding ties to Strategic Media and Smart Media Group. A subsidiary of Smart Media received more than $329 million in 2024 from Trump’s Political Action Committee (PAC) while Lewandowski was advising the campaign. Smart Media also placed ads for Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s 2024 gubernatorial race while Lewandowski and People Who Think LLC—the other company selected by DHS as a prime contractor for the ad campaigns—were consultants for the Landry campaign.
The Senators’ letters to Strategic Media Services Inc. and Smart Media Group LLC request a copy of any subcontract or other agreement with Safe America Media; invoices submitted to Safe America Media in connection with the ad campaign; communications between the companies and Safe America Media (or agents of Safe America Media) related to the production of the ad campaign; and any communications between the companies and any DHS personnel, including but not limited to Noem, Lewandowski, and McLaughlin.
Senators Welch and Blumenthal requested answers to the following questions from Strategic Media Services Inc.:
- When did Strategic Media first communicate with Safe America Media about the potential of a contract?
- Do you or Strategic Media have any contractual, lobbying, or other relationship with Corey Lewandowski that refers or relates to this contract? If so, please provide any documentation regarding that relationship.
- Did Strategic Media directly or indirectly compensate—financially or otherwise—any DHS personnel, including but not limited to Special Government Employees, in connection with the DHS ad campaign?
- Please identify all individuals and firms that Strategic Media compensated—financially or otherwise—in connection with the DHS ad campaign.
- Has Strategic Media received any other contracts or subcontracts for services connected to or solicited by DHS? If so, please identify the projects and provide a description of Strategic Media’s involvement.
- Does Strategic Media intend to pursue additional DHS or other federal agency contracts or subcontracts?
- Does Strategic Media have a conflict of interest policy? If so, please provide the policy. If it does not maintain such a policy, explain why not.
Senators Welch and Blumenthal requested answers to the following questions from Smart Media:
- When did Smart Media first communicate with Safe America Media about the potential of a contract?
- Do you or Smart Media have any contractual, lobbying, or other relationship with Corey Lewandowski that refers or relates to this contract? If so, please provide any documentation regarding that relationship.
- Did Smart Media directly or indirectly compensate—financially or otherwise—any DHS personnel, including but not limited to Special Government Employees, in connection with the DHS ad campaign?
- Please identify all individuals and firms that Smart Media compensated—financially or otherwise—in connection with the DHS ad campaign.
- Has Smart Media received any other contracts or subcontracts for services connected to or solicited by DHS? If so, please identify the projects and provide a description of Smart Media’s involvement.
- Does Smart Media intend to pursue additional DHS or other federal agency contracts or subcontracts?
- Does Smart Media have a conflict of interest policy? If so, please provide the policy. If it does not maintain such a policy, explain why not.
Read Senator Welch and Senator Blumenthal’s letter to Strategic Media Services Inc. here.
Read Senator Welch and Senator Blumenthal’s letter to Smart Media Group LLC here.
Earlier this month, Senators Welch and Blumenthal demanded answers from The Strategy Group Company, Safe America Media LLC, and People Who Think LLC about potential corruption and conflicts of interest stemming from their involvement in no-bid contracts awarded by DHS. The Senators’ request came days after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which the Senators grilled Noem for bypassing a competitive bidding process to award contracts to firms with which she and her senior advisers have personal ties. Read more here.
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