Summary
- Kristi Noem fast-tracked $11 million FEMA funds for Florida pier.
- Funding came after a major donor contacted her directly.
- The pier is near the home of Noem's top adviser, Lewandowski.
The accusations coincide with grievances that the FEMA has been slow to react to previous disasters, such as flooding in central Texas, partly because of alleged regulations requiring Noem to personally approve expenditures above $100,000.
However, Noem apparently jumped to the rescue and repaired a historic pier in Naples, Florida, a picturesque and affluent community on the Gulf Coast, which had been destroyed since Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Teresa Heitmann, the mayor of Naples, reportedly turned to Dr. Sinan Gursoy for assistance in August following months of delays, some of which local officials blamed on cuts to government agencies during the Trump administration.
“FEMA is holding us up,”
Heitmann wrote in a text message to Gursoy obtained by the outlet.
“Kristi Noem could put some fire under the FEMA employees slacking.”
In addition to appearing on a planning document as a member of the South Dakota delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention, the cardiologist apparently had personal connections to the DHS secretary, having reportedly contributed at least $25,000 to her 2022 campaign for governor of South Dakota.
According to ProPublica, Corey Lewandowski, a leading Noem aide, also seems to possess a house close to the Naples pier. Noem and Lewandowski both deny any intimate relationship, despite media rumors to the contrary.
The pier project immediately saw rapid progress.
“Per leadership instruction, pushing project immediately,”
a FEMA official said, according to records obtained by ProPublica.
According to Noem's Instagram, she visited the location in late August. The mayor said she had dinner with Gursoy in Naples.
“This has nothing to do with politics: Secretary Noem also visited Ruidoso, NM, at the request of a Democrat governor and has been integral in supporting and speeding up their recovery efforts,”
the Department of Homeland Security said in response to the report.
Last month, a group of FEMA employees warned in an open letter that Trump administration cuts and staff changes at the agency were leaving America unprepared for disasters.
“Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration,”
the letter read.
Are there ethics investigations or oversight inquiries ongoing?
Several ethics offices located within institutions, e.g., the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), continue to verify compliance with ethics policies and review reported transgressions by members of government and public service.
Congressional oversight committees (including the House Oversight Committee) investigate actions taken by the Executive Branch and potential misconduct (like the PDF publication of documents related to the estate of Jeffrey Epstein), and (1) other conduct that may be politically sensitive or ""propriety or ethics that can be controversial" (e.g. value of a gift, disclosure of gifts, etc).
Investigative bodies; like the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in NSW or similar commissions will hold public inquiries and ethics investigations into allegations of corrupt conduct and breach of public trust misconduct.