DHS defends McLaughlin after claims husband’s firm profited millions from ads

SPECIAL: Newly obtained financial statements shed light on allegations that former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s husband’s company made millions as a result of a DHS advertising campaign.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced intense questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., specifically called out the agency for contracting with a public relations firm run by McLaughlin’s husband, Benjamin Yoho.

“I have personally reviewed the allegations against Ms. McLaughlin and find them to be unfounded,” DHS General Counsel James Percival told Fox News Digital. “Nothing illegal or unethical occurred in connection with these contracts. Ms. McLaughlin was not involved in the selection of any subcontractors.

“But she is a superstar in the public relations world, so I am not surprised that she married a successful businessman whose services were attractive to these outside firms.”

Kennedy claimed the Louisiana Republican senator received “most of the money” from “television ads” by Yoho’s firm, Strategy Group, which the Louisiana Republican senator said totaled $220 million. [Noem] distinctly.”

“I’m sorry,” Kennedy said. “Safe America Media was a company that was founded 11 days before you elected them. And Strategy Group got most of the money. And its president is married to your former spokesperson.”

“Knowing the President as well as I do, it’s hard for me to believe that you would say, ‘Mr. President, here are some commercials I’m cutting and I’m going to spend $220 million to run them, and he would agree to that,'” Kennedy said. “I don’t think Russ has Vought at OMB [Office of Management and Budget] I would accept that.”

‘SHAME ON YOU!’: PROTESTER DRAGED FROM KRISTI NOEM’S SENATE HEARING

Senate scrutiny of the DHS ad campaign intensified after Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned whether a firm linked to McLaughlin’s husband had received ill-gotten gains; but DHS officials and the company denied any wrongdoing or making multimillion-dollar profits. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Strategy Group is a conservative advertising agency where Yoho serves as CEO.

Figures obtained by Fox News Digital show a slightly lower total ad spend of around $185 million; A total of about $146.5 million is going to the campaign called “Save America.”

However, of the total that went to “Saving America,” about $348,000 went to production costs, while the remaining $142 million went to “media buys.”

Sources at DHS say media buys are the cost of purchasing the ads themselves, whether purchased on social media or for a TV spot.

Kennedy also claimed that the bidding process for the contracts never occurred and that the recent formation of Safe America Media was cause for concern and collusion between McLaughlin and her husband’s business.

WATCH THE MOST VIRAL MOMENTS FROM KRISTI NOEM’S HEARING CONDITION

Controversy over DHS’s “Save America” ​​ad campaign intensified as senators objected to the campaign’s costs and ties to contractors; agency officials even touted the initiative as a historic success in encouraging self-deportation. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

“Yes they did,” Noem responded during the hearing. “They went to a competitive bid and career officials in the department chose who would do these commercials.”

Strategy Group informed X on Tuesday that they had never entered into a contract with the ministry. Although they received several hundred thousand dollars for production costs associated with their advertising campaigns, Strategy Group never made millions in profits.

“Strategy Group has never had a contract with DHS,” the post read. “We had a subcontract with Safe America [Media] For limited production services. Safe America paid us a total of $226,137.17 for 5 film shoots, 45 video commercials and 6 radio commercials.”

DHS Spokesperson TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN WILL LEAVE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATOR, SOURCE CONFIRMES

Critics have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest regarding a high-dollar DHS advertising effort, but department representatives say McLaughlin has recused herself and subcontracting decisions are made independently. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

“If you’re going to try to question our integrity, bring real evidence; we’ve done it,” the post concluded.

Because these ads were purchased using public funds, all contract totals are publicly available.

Lauren Bis, who took over as Deputy Secretary after McLaughlin left office, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that scrutiny of ad spending by both Republicans and Democrats was unfair because the campaigns resulted in “the most successful ad campaign in U.S. history.”

“Sanctuary politicians are attacking this ad campaign because it has been successful in CLOSING our borders and allowing more than 2.2 million illegal aliens to leave the United States,” Bis said. “DHS’s domestic and international ad campaign was the most successful in U.S. history. The results speak for themselves: 2.2 million illegal aliens have self-deported, and we now have the most secure border in American history.”

KRISTI NOEM TO MEET THE SENATE ON WORKS IN MINNEAPOLIS AS DHS SHUTDOWN REACHES WEEK 3

The Trump administration reaffirmed that all illegal immigrants are eligible for deportation because they are primarily focused on apprehending violent criminals. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Bis also compared the cost of arresting and deporting an illegal immigrant to the minimal cost of self-deporting an illegal immigrant. The ministry says the advertising campaign played an important role in marketing’s self-deportation.

A DHS spokesperson also told Fox News Digital that contractors, not the department, decide who they hire to meet check requirements.

“By law, DHS cannot determine, control, or weigh who contractors hire or use to fulfill contract terms,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox. “These decisions are made solely by the contractor. We only became aware of these companies through this research and did not hire these companies.”

The spokesperson also stated that McLaughlin “reclined himself” from interactions with subcontractors to avoid “any appearance of impropriety.”

“After hearing who the subcontractors were for the production of the commercial, Ms. McLaughlin removed herself from any interaction or involvement with any subcontractors to avoid any appearance of impropriety,” the spokesperson continued. “The DHS Office of Public Affairs is the program officer. Ms. McLaughlin directs the DHS Office of Public Affairs, which is the vehicle for this contract.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem took her seat to testify during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that criticism of him and his family by senators at the hearing was a matter of manipulation of public opinion.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“This is yet another example of politicians deliberately trying to create division and anger by deceiving and manipulating the public,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Advertising spending and contracts are a public matter and the process was conducted by the book.”

“These politicians would rather denigrate private citizens and American small businesses than do any basic research,” the former DHS deputy secretary added.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Related Article