SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) 鈥� As then-Gov. crisscrossed the country 鈥� stumping for President Donald Trump and boosting her political profile beyond her home state 鈥� she refused to reveal what her extensive travel was costing taxpayers.
In the weeks since Noem , that mystery has been solved: South Dakota repeatedly picked up the tab for expenses related to her jet-setting campaigning.
An Associated Press analysis of recently released travel records found more than $150,000 in expenses tied to Noem鈥檚 political and personal activity and not South Dakota business. That included to Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump resided before retaking office.
Most of those costs covered the state-provided security that accompanied Noem, irrespective of the reason for her travel. Over her six years as governor, AP鈥檚 analysis shows, South Dakota covered more than $640,000 in travel-related costs incurred by the governor鈥檚 office.
The expenditures include $7,555 in airfare for a six-day trip to Paris, where she gave a speech at a right-wing gathering, costs associated with a bear hunt in Canada with her niece and a book tour that included a stop in New York. An additional $2,200 stemmed from a last year to Houston for dental work she showcased on Instagram.
Expenses spark uproar
The expenses, released last month following a lawsuit by , have incensed Republicans in the deep-red state, with several GOP lawmakers accusing Noem of tapping state funds to fuel her own political ascendancy.
The uproar comes as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government and as Noem has taken over DHS, the third-largest federal agency, with a budget and workforce many times the size of South Dakota's.
The spending 鈥渙ffends a lot of people,鈥� said Dennis Daugaard, a former Republican South Dakota governor, who added that costs generated by Noem鈥檚 ambition for higher office could鈥檝e been paid with campaign funds.
Taffy Howard, a GOP state senator who over her refusal to disclose her travel expenses, expressed shock at the price tag. 鈥淚t seems like an incredible amount of money,鈥� Howard told AP.
A spokesman for Noem, Tim Murtaugh, declined to answer detailed questions about the expenses but did not dispute that some of the travel lacked an apparent connection to state business. There鈥檚 no indication the former governor broke any laws having the state foot the bill for security expenses 鈥� even on trips that critics said benefited her more than South Dakota taxpayers.
鈥淯nfortunately, bad guys tend to make threats against high-profile public officials," Murtaugh said. 鈥淲hen it was a political or personal trip, she paid for her own travel out of her political or personal funds.鈥�
Josie Harms, a spokesperson for Noem鈥檚 gubernatorial successor, said security requirements were 鈥渁 matter of state business no matter where the governor may be."
鈥淭he scope of that security is not up to the governor,鈥� Harms added.
During her years in office, Noem frequently said that releasing the travel expenses would jeopardize her safety.
Lax disclosure requirements
South Dakota has relatively lax disclosure requirements for such travel expenses. Governors from both parties have used state funds to finance the travel expenses of their security details and staffers.
Critics called on Washington鈥檚 Jay Inslee, a Democrat, to reimburse the state for similar costs resulting from his unsuccessful 2019 presidential run. And Ron DeSantis, Florida's GOP governor, also for racking up hefty travel tabs for his security detail during his bid for higher office.
Murtaugh, a spokesman for Noem in her personal capacity, questioned why Democratic governors were not being scrutinized for their travel on behalf of former Vice President Kamala Harris, their party's 2024 presidential nominee.
鈥淭hey maintained aggressive political schedules on behalf of Kamala Harris but somehow escape media attention for costs associated with that, while Kristi Noem is being held to a different standard?鈥� Murtaugh wrote in an email.
The more than 3,000 pages of records released to the Scout by the state auditor included hotel receipts, restaurant bills and credit card statements.
Some expenses have no link to state business
The AP obtained the same records, as well as dozens of additional documents that show state officials acknowledged that 鈥渃ampaigning for Trump is not an official duty鈥� of the governor in denying one of several requests to release her travel expenses.
The receipts are heavily redacted, so it鈥檚 not always clear who incurred the expense. Only 30 items totaling $2,056.72 were charged on the governor鈥檚 state-issued Mastercard, according to her attorney.
Some expenses seemingly had no link to state business, such as $21 hotel-room movie purchases. It鈥檚 also unclear who attended meals that included unnamed 鈥渇ederal officials.鈥�
The state auditor questioned some of the charges, including the governor鈥檚 office鈥檚 use of a luxury airline travel agency for a flight to Paris and a $2,000 change fee.
The state also ran up more than $3,300 in late fees and interest. The record doesn鈥檛 indicate how much was paid in overtime for staff and security accompanying Noem on her political excursions.
鈥淪pending for security detail, as well as where and when they are deemed necessary, falls under the discretion of the governor,鈥� Jenna Latham, a supervisor in the state auditor's office, wrote to AP in an email.
Most of the expenses were incurred as Noem became a rising star in Trump鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� universe and a contender to be his 2024 running mate. Her fortunes appeared to have suffered a blow after she that she shot and killed her farm dog, Cricket, after it scared away some game during a pheasant hunt.
This is not the first time Noem鈥檚 travel has come under the microscope. A state government accountability board in 2022 had requested an to attend political events, but a prosecutor found no grounds for charges.
State known for frugality
The records raise questions about the necessity of the travel and the secrecy surrounding the expenses.
Noem鈥檚 office refused to release records related to a 2020 speaking engagement at AmpFest, a gathering of Trump supporters near Miami, telling a public-records requester the trip was 鈥渘ot for the purpose of the governor鈥檚 official duties鈥� and no receipts existed.
But the newly released records include several transactions in South Florida on those days, including a rental car and a stay at the posh Trump National Doral Miami. Days later, South Dakota picked up the tab for gasoline and hotel rooms for Noem's security so she could speak at a Republican fundraiser in New Hampshire.
鈥淣oem鈥檚 travel doesn鈥檛 pass the smell test,鈥� said Viki Harrison, program director for Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that seeks to limit big money in politics. 鈥淭here should be a huge firewall between campaigning and official business.鈥�
Noem鈥檚 predecessors traveled less frequently in a low-tax state that values frugality, both on the farm and from elected officials. Daugaard, whose official statue features him pinching a penny, said he reimbursed staff for purchases like ice cream.
Former Gov. Mike Rounds, now South Dakota鈥檚 junior U.S. senator, said he tried to keep partisan activity at 鈥渁rm鈥檚 length鈥� from state resources and was careful about what he put on the government鈥檚 dime.
Such thriftiness was required, he said, because his state is 鈥渟o tight on everything to begin with, just in terms of having enough money to pay the bills.鈥�
___ Goodman reported from Miami and Mustian from New York. Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.
Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian And Sarah Raza, The Associated Press
