Congressional Democrats have formally referred former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for potential criminal charges following allegations she lied to Congress during recent oversight hearings. The referral was made in a letter sent Monday by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrats on their chambers’ Judiciary Committees, to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Allegations of False Statements Under Oath
The letter accuses Noem of making multiple false statements that may violate laws prohibiting perjury and knowingly making false statements to Congress. The Democrats highlighted four categories of testimony where she allegedly misled lawmakers, including compliance with court orders, DHS contract awards, immigration detention practices, and particularly a $220 million DHS advertising contract.
During hearings earlier this month, Noem claimed the contract went through a competitive bidding process overseen by career officials, and stated that then-President Donald Trump was aware of the campaign. However, Senators questioned the legitimacy of these claims, with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) expressing skepticism about the contract’s competitive nature and Trump’s knowledge. Investigations suggested the primary contract recipient had links to former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and her husband, Benjamin Yoho, who denies any wrongdoing.
Political Response and Next Steps
The Trump administration rejects the perjury allegations, with a DHS spokesperson calling the claims “categorically FALSE.” Despite this stance, Democrats signaled their intent to pursue the matter further, citing the five-year statute of limitations for perjury and false statements to Congress. They also criticized potential partisan influence affecting DOJ actions.
Noem was removed as DHS secretary earlier this month by President Trump, who appointed Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as her successor pending confirmation. Noem will take on a new role as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas military coalition. The DOJ has yet to comment on the referral.
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