Noem sparks political favoritism concerns

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00:00Noam sparks political favoritism concerns.

00:04Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noam rushed a stalled project in Naples, Florida

00:09after a major donor called to complain about the lack of movement.

00:13Speculation has also emerged that another important relationship helped fuel the release

00:17of funds.

00:19Across Texas and North Carolina, officials say communities hit by floods and hurricanes

00:23are struggling to get FEMA help.

00:25Officials fighting for help include Ted Budd, the junior Republican senator from North Carolina.

00:30I can't get phone calls back.

00:32I can't get them to initiate the money.

00:34It's just a quagmire, Budd said, citing a DHS rule that expenses over $100,000 require

00:40Noam's personal approval.

00:43After Hurricane Ian destroyed the Naples pier in 2022, rebuilding stalled while the city

00:48sought FEMA aid.

00:50ProPublica reported that GOP donor and cardiologist Sinan Gersoy complained to Noam and she

00:55expedited more than $11 million to rebuild the historic pier.

00:59Corey Lewandowski, Noam's chief advisor and Trump's former campaign manager, owns a home

01:04a few miles away, but said he was not involved in financial decisions.

01:08Lewandowski works with Noam and has been accused of a personal relationship with her.

01:12A worst-kept secret, both deny.

01:15She also visited Ruidoso, New Mexico, at the request of a Democrat governor.

01:20In July, the town was hit by devastating floods that left three people dead.

01:24ProPublica reported that Noam didn't just quickly push through money for the pier, but

01:29also used a government plane to tour the area and dined with Gersoy, who gave her at least

01:34$25,000 in 2022, prompting favoritism claims.

01:39In North Carolina, pretty much everything Helene related is over $100,000, Senator Budd said, so

01:46they're stacking up on her desk waiting for her signature.

01:49Noam has also faced backlash for dressing up and doing cosplay as the public face of ICE.