US firm advising Reform’s Senedd candidates tied to ad scandal that helped oust Trump’s Homeland Security chief

Emily Price 

The American firm hired by Reform UK to advise its prospective Senedd Members was previously embroiled in a controversy over an advertisement campaign that contributed to the dismissal of President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security.

Kristi Noem was axed by the U.S. president in March this year following a series of scandals and what administration officials described as “unfortunate leadership failures”.

Noem had come under heavy criticism over a $200 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign that featured her in chaps and a cowboy hat riding on horseback near Mount Rushmore.

In the television ad, Noem issued a warning to immigrants: “Break our laws, and you will face punishment.”

She hailed the multi-million dollar campaign as a crucial tool to stem illegal immigration in America.

But ProPublica – a New York City based newsroom that focuses on exposing corruption – revealed that Noem’s agency had invoked America’s “national emergency” declaration at the border as it awarded contracts.

This allowed the normal competitive bidding process designed to prevent waste and corruption to be bypassed.

ProPublica found that the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) had awarded millions in no-bid contracts to Safe America Media – a Limited Liability Company created days before.

The company then subcontracted work to the Strategy Group, a firm led by Ben Yoho who is married to Tricia McLaughlin – Noem’s then-assistant secretary.

Federal regulations in America prohibit conflicts of interest in contracting and require that the process is carried out “with complete impartiality and with preferential treatment for none”.

‘Allies’

ProPublica wrote: “The Strategy Group’s ad work is the first known example of money flowing from Noem’s agency to businesses controlled by her allies and friends.

“Government contracting experts said the depth of the ties between DHS leadership and the Strategy Group suggested major potential violations of ethics rules.”

ProPublica added: “This is not the first time that the Strategy Group has gotten public money through a Noem contract.

“As governor of South Dakota in 2023, her administration set off a scandal by hiring the Ohio-based company to do a different ad campaign, paying it $8.5 million in state funds.

“While the state said the contract was done by the book, a former Noem administration official told ProPublica that Noem quietly intervened to ensure the Strategy Group got the deal.”

After taking over as DHS secretary in 2024, Noem had vowed to eliminate wasteful spending within the department by introducing strict cost-control measures.

Funds

But at the same time, the department was directing substantial funds toward advertising campaigns in which Noem featured prominently.

CNN reported that it had seen invoices to the Strategy Group that showed tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent on expenses for the Rushmore ad for hair, makeup artists and a horse.

In a statement, DHS said it had “no involvement with the selection of subcontractors” adding that the Strategy Group did not have a direct contract with the agency.

Noem later faced tough questions from Democrats and some Republicans during a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee where she was confronted about her agency’s advertising campaign.

She argued that bids for the advertisements were properly submitted adding that she had nothing “to do with picking those contractors”.

After the hearing, the Strategy Group claimed on social media that it did not have a contract with DHS directly – but had instead obtained a sub-contract with Safe America.

Axed

President Trump publicly disputed Noem’s claims that he had been aware of the spending, saying he “never knew anything about it.”

Shortly afterwards, the president announced that Noem would leave DHS.

He has since appointed her to serve as the Special Envoy to “The Shield of the Americas” – a security initiative aimed at combating drug cartels and managing migration in the Western Hemisphere.

Earlier this week, Nation.Cymru reported that the Strategy Group had been hired by Reform UK to advise its candidates ahead of the Senedd election.

An insider who took part in Reform’s candidate selection process told us that the firm’s president, Ryan Rodgers, had delivered a presentation to Welsh election hopefuls at a special Senedd candidate “gala”.

The Strategy Group’s website boasts that its advice and services helped secure the elections of Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence, along with numerous Republican politicians across the United States, including governors, senators, and members of Congress.

Our source said that Rodgers’ provided a “high level” presentation to Reform’s would-be Senedd Members that included pointers on how candidates should engage with social media users.

‘Block’

The insider said: “The talk was delivered to the majority of the 96 Welsh Reform candidates. No one batted an eyelid at the fact an American company was coming in to support a Welsh election.

“There was advice given to candidates in the way they are to conduct themselves on social media.

“Pre-election, engaging with the public should be limited and must rely on Nigel Farage’s profile and the national Reform pages being the main page and Welsh specific one.

“However, once elected, members should then set up profile pages that Reform HQ can monitor engagement and collate data – thus assisting with getting Nigel into No.10.

“Candidates were told to block followers who didn’t agree with the rhetoric as well.”

Nation.Cymru contacted the Strategy Group and Reform UK and asked what qualified an American firm to try to influence a Senedd election.

We did not receive a response from either.

Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour accused Reform UK of not caring about Welsh communities or values.

Reform was invited to comment on the Strategy Group’s links to Kristi Noem’s removal as Secretary of Homeland Security – but the party did not respond.