Home Democrats are launching an investigation into an advert marketing campaign from the Trump administration on its immigration insurance policies, saying it might have violated federal spending pointers by selling political goals and giving contracts to administration allies.
Democrats on the Home Homeland Safety Committee and the Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee are investigating new advertisements launched by the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) that reward Trump for his immigration insurance policies whereas warning migrants to not journey to the U.S.
The Democrats word the funding got here after the president requested an advert thanking him for his actions on the border, and that contracts to take action went to companies with ties to the Trump marketing campaign.
“Contrary to DHS’s stated intent of the campaign, reports indicate that, at the express direction of President Donald Trump, DHS is paying significant sums to produce and distribute materials with the intent of lauding the President’s draconian immigration policies. In doing so, DHS appears to have evaded the competitive bidding process that ensures taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, instead awarding this vanity project…to enrich Republican campaign consultants,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the Homeland Safety rating member, and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the Oversight rating member, wrote to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
The letter stated the contracts have been a “multiple-award indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract” permitting funds of as much as $200 million over two years.
DHS didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
It’s widespread for DHS to run advertisements encouraging migrants to not come to the U.S. — the Biden administration did so in numerous languages.
However the letter suggests Trump could have had one other purpose in thoughts, referencing a speech from Noem at this yr’s Conservative Political Motion Convention wherein she famous that the president requested the marketing campaign.
“He said, ‘I want you in the ads, and I want your face in the ads … but I want the first ad, I want you to thank me, so I want you to thank me for closing the border,’” Noem stated in the course of the speech.
“And I said, ‘Yes, sir, I will thank you for closing the border.’”
The primary phrases of the advert are “Thank you, President Donald J. Trump.”
Whereas DHS has additionally stated it plans to run their advertisements “in multiple countries and regions in various dialects,” a lot of the preliminary media buys which were disclosed point out a broader home focus.
In accordance with Politico, the advert initially aired in the course of the “Right now” present and “Good Morning America,” with the Spanish-language model airing in markets with a large share of Spanish audio system.
However in accordance with the letter, there was additionally “a specific $30,000 carveout to air the ads in West Palm Beach … when the President was reportedly there.”
One of many contracts was given to Individuals Who Suppose LLC, which is owned by Jay Connaughton, who served as media adviser for Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign and lately labored with former Trump marketing campaign supervisor Corey Lewandowski.
One other $16 million contract was given to Secure America Media LLC, which was integrated by Republican marketing consultant Mike McElwain simply 11 days earlier than the advert marketing campaign was introduced.
Neither agency instantly responded to requests for remark.
“Given the significant costs of the advertising campaign, the questionable choices made in deploying the ads, and the awardees’ relationships with President Trump, the Trump campaign, and other federal officials, the Committees seek to ensure that the contracting process was fair, ethical, and compliant with all applicable federal regulations, and that the campaign complies with all relevant prohibitions on the use of taxpayer funds for improper purposes,” the lawmakers wrote.
