Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem A scandalous report about his contract awards appeared in the New York Times. The fired Trump Cabinet member is demanding a full retraction of the outlet’s findings on the multimillion-dollar aircraft deal.
Former DHS secretary disputes reporting about aircraft contracts awarded near end of his tenure
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanded The New York Times retract it report over controversial aircraft contracts awarded to him, according to the outlet’s findings published this week.
The Times reported that Noem awarded lucrative non-compete contracts in her final days leading the department. DHS purchased five luxury jets from Dedalus Aviation Corporation, a Virginia-based company headed by Trump-supporting donor William Walters. The company had never received any government contract before.
DHS paid $108 million for the Boeing 737 Max 8, which Daedalus had purchased for just $90 million a few months earlier. The agency also purchased two small luxury jets for $106 million, although Daedalus had purchased them for $83 million. Aviation experts told the Times that the two additional 20-year-old Boeing 737s are worth $45 million, far above market value.
Noem hit back on social media, calling the reporting “factually inaccurate.” He argued that the article “unduly prejudices readers and infers unfairness that is not supported by the underlying facts.” He also claimed that journalists received “numerous” clarifications before publication.
Walters donated $10,000 to a super PAC associated with Noem during the 2024 presidential election. He also contributed to the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute. The super PAC’s sister nonprofit paid Noem’s chief adviser Corey Lewandowski more than $265,000 for consulting work.
DHS paid Dedalus a total of approximately $464 million under Noem for ten unused aircraft. His successor, Markwayne Mullin, moved the department away from procurement. DHS said the contracts “were created and approved by Department leadership before Secretary Mullin was sworn in.”
Trump fired Noem via Truth Social in March over multiple scandals. These included her alleged affair with Lewandowski and a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured herself on a horse.