John,
Last year, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem deployed 48 South Dakota National Guard officers to the U.S.’s southern border, as part of “Operation Lone Star,” roughly 1,300 miles south of South Dakota’s own southern border.
The deployment was funded in part by a $1 million donation from a billionaire GOP donor—a troubling case of a private donor apparently helping to direct troop deployments. But an investigation by CREW has now found that the full cost of the deployment was over $1.4 million—meaning South Dakota taxpayers kicked in over $450,000, likely from an emergency fund, for what was essentially a publicity stunt.
Operation Lone Star was described by some Texas National Guard members involved as “aimless, political and oversized,” with some stationed over 80 miles away from the border to protect ranches owned by the wealthy and politically connected. Not only is it highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a private donor to fund a military action, Noem’s actions appear to be nothing more than a political stunt. With reports suggesting that she may be a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, there’s plenty of reason to scrutinize the donation and Noem’s decision to use more than $450,000 in state funds to pay for the remainder of the deployment.
Noem’s stunt may have fallen from the headlines, but at CREW, we’re going to keep fighting for answers about ethics issues and conflicts of interest like this, for as long as it takes.
Thank you,
Noah Bookbinder
President, CREW
