Kristi Noem Pushes Back Against $650K Credit Card Spending Claims, Reveals Real Total

Kristi Noem, now serving as the nation’s Secretary of Homeland Security, is demanding a South Dakota-based media outlet retract claims that she personally racked up $650,000 on a government-issued credit card during her time as governor. Noem’s legal team has issued a cease-and-desist letter, branding the reports as "false and misleading."

The dispute stems from reporting by The Dakota Scout, which stated that Noem’s office, under her tenure as governor, accumulated credit card expenditures totaling over $650,000. However, receipts and records provided by Noem’s team paint a very different picture. According to the documentation, Noem’s personal use of the government card amounted to just $2,056.72 across her four-year term. That’s the price of a decent laptop—not lavish government spending.

Noem served as South Dakota’s governor from January 2019 to January 2025 before stepping into her current federal role. Her office’s overall credit card expenses reportedly covered official purposes, including costs for her security detail. But according to the cease-and-desist letter, The Dakota Scout presented these charges as if they were Noem’s personal spending spree, misleading readers and fueling broader media echoes of the claim.

"This is fake news," said Tim Murtaugh, acting as Noem’s personal spokesperson. He argued that the outlet is using Noem’s prominent political stature to "raise their own profile" and insists that her focus remains on securing the border and serving as a key member of President Trump’s administration.

In a July 2024 report, The Dakota Scout claimed that "Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year." The outlet’s co-founders, Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve, have stood by their reporting, dismissing Noem’s legal letter as uninformed. In one particularly cheeky response, Ellis reportedly replied to Noem’s correction request with a curt, "Heh." Not exactly Pulitzer-level professionalism, is it?

The real breakdown of Noem’s personal card use over her years as governor shows modest spending: $55.44 in 2020, $841.21 in 2021, $730.19 in 2022, and $429.88 in 2023. Her card wasn’t even used in 2024. The rest of the office’s charges—amounting to that eye-popping $650,000—were made by multiple state employees and included security-related expenses, a necessary cost for a high-profile official, according to her team.

Critics, however, have pointed to The Dakota Scout’s pattern of targeting Noem, highlighting headlines like "Noem’s state credit card spending kept secret" and "Kristi Noem’s credit card expenses: Search database to see 5 years of charges." The outlet even launched a searchable database of her office’s credit card transactions. While transparency in government spending is crucial, it seems the line between accountability and sensationalism may have blurred here.

Adding intrigue to the situation is Austin Goss, one of the outlet’s journalists, who previously made national headlines for an ill-conceived prank impersonating Noem in 2023. Goss was fired from his job at the time and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. He has since been floated as a potential candidate for the state auditor role—because, sure, why not?

Noem’s legal team has warned The Dakota Scout of potential lawsuits, demanding corrections to past inaccuracies and an end to what they call defamatory reporting. Similar cease-and-desist letters are reportedly being prepared for other outlets that echoed the $650,000 claim. The Dakota Scout, however, has shown no signs of backing down, citing First Amendment protections.

Bernard Kerik, former New York City Police Commissioner, came to Noem’s defense, calling the criticism "ludicrous." He emphasized that high-profile officials like governors require extensive security measures, and those expenses are not dictated by the official herself but by security experts.

While Noem continues to focus on her federal duties, this media tangle remains a stark reminder of how political fame often comes with a side of sensationalized scrutiny. And let’s be real—$2,000 in four years is hardly a scandal. If anything, that’s a masterclass in frugality compared to the spending habits of some public officials.