Senators reveal spending details from Noem's $220M immigration ad campaign
Democratic senators disclosed expenses including $20,000 for horse rentals and $3,800 for hair and makeup from South Dakota's controversial advertising campaign.

Democratic senators have released detailed spending information from South Dakota's $220 million immigration-focused advertising campaign, revealing expenses that included $20,000 for horse rentals and $3,800 for hair and makeup services.
The breakdown was secured as part of an investigation led by Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The expenses were incurred under a subcontract with The Strategy Group Company, which was hired to create advertisements for the campaign.
The advertising campaign, authorized by South Dakota Governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, featured messaging urging undocumented immigrants to leave the United States. The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers over its cost and content.
According to the senators' findings, The Strategy Group Company received a $60,000 signing bonus for producing the commercial content. The company is described as Trump-aligned, though specific details about its political affiliations were not elaborated upon in the disclosure.
The investigation appears to be ongoing, with the senators continuing to examine various aspects of how the substantial advertising budget was allocated and spent during the campaign's production and implementation.