South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem came under fire for her hesitance. These measures weren’t enough to stop a consumer advocacy group, Travelers United, from filing a lawsuit against her in March 2024. The lawsuit stems from one particular social media video she ran promoting a dental implant mill known as Smile Texas. It brings into focus major issues regarding the transparency of her financial disclosures while serving as governor.
According to these reports, Noem didn’t disclose an additional $80,000 payment she took while in office. This sum was purportedly to help a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with their fundraising initiatives. That same non-profit then turned to social media attack ads. In particular, they went after local news organizations who were reporting on Noem’s scandalous misuse of taxpayer dollars.
In 2021, Noem garnered attention for her extravagant expenditures, which included a $68,000 renovation of the governor’s mansion that featured saunas, chandeliers, and rugs. Her annual salary during her governorship was $130,000, which made her laundering the money she did in office even more scandalous. All told, during her six years in office, the office incurred more than $640,000 in excessive travel expenses. South Dakota taxpayers ended up paying the price for those expenses.
Most importantly, Noem expensed a $7,555 roundtrip airfare for a six-day trip to Paris to address a political organizer’s conference. Then, after taking her niece on a bear hunt in Canada, the alarm bells were raised even more. Taxpayer subsidization of leisure activities, as many critics have characterized bike use, is an unpopular notion. Opponents say these spending habits are indicative of a luxurious lifestyle Noem has gotten used to since taking office.
Taffy Howard, a Republican state senator, expressed disbelief regarding the undisclosed payment, stating, “$80,000 seems like an incredible amount of money.” Meanwhile, Lee Schoenbeck, a longtime Republican attorney and lawmaker, emphasized the ethical implications of Noem’s actions by stating, “There’s no way the governor is supposed to have a private side business that the public doesn’t know about.”
Yet as Time notes, Noem’s actions have provoked backlash not just from political opponents but even from her fellow Republicans. Former South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard remarked that the financial burden placed on taxpayers to enhance Noem’s national profile “offends a lot of people.”
As a result, Noem emerged as a lead figure in the right’s escalation against immigration crackdowns and deportation efforts. These initiatives are likely to be one of the highest priorities for President Donald Trump since he re-assumed that office in early January. Additionally, she has flown on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign to Palm Beach, Florida.
In response to the allegations about her undisclosed payments and luxurious spending, Noem’s spokesperson Tim Murtaugh issued a staunch defense of her actions. He stated, “When it was a political or personal trip, she paid for her own travel out of her political or personal funds.” Murtaugh further noted that “Unfortunately, bad guys tend to make threats against high-profile public officials,” indicating that the scrutiny surrounding Noem may be politically motivated.
While some defend Noem’s integrity by asserting that she has “fully complied with the letter and the spirit of the law,” as stated by her campaign treasurer Trevor Stanley, the fallout from this lawsuit and public backlash could impact her political future.