House Democrats are pressing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to follow through on a pledge to provide a list of all contracts he has canceled from the tenure of his predecessor, former Secretary Kristi Noem.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter this week demanding a full accounting of all contracts that Mullin has "canceled, terminated (for convenience or default), rescinded, suspended, paused, or materially modified due to concerns about propriety, value, or compliance."
Thompson said Mullin told the committee during his June 3 appearance before the panel that he would turn over his review of contracts signed by Noem. The Mississippi Democrat said the secretary has not yet delivered on that promise in a timely manner.
The letter highlights several contracting decisions made under Noem's leadership, including expensive luxury jet acquisitions allegedly used for personal travel, self-promotional advertising such as a $200 million ad campaign featuring her riding a horse, vehicle wraps for unused equipment, and warehouse purchases reportedly made above appraised values.
"Significant questions have been raised regarding the propriety, value, and legitimacy of multiple large-dollar DHS contracting actions," Thompson wrote in the letter to Mullin.
What the Left Is Saying
Thompson argued that while Inspectors General play an essential role, DHS leadership has an independent obligation to identify and address potential procurement misconduct without relying solely on OIG investigations.
"OIG investigations are essential but not exhaustive, and the Department must not treat the OIG as the sole or exclusive mechanism for detecting or stopping fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption," Thompson wrote.
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Democrat who has scrutinized Noem's spending, said earlier this year that some DHS warehouses were purchased at a "1,000 percent markup."
Democrats have also been critical of Noem's policy requiring her personal review on any spending over $100,000, which they say slowed processing of awards for emergency preparedness and delayed disaster funds from reaching states after major events.
Thompson said the committee needs the contract information to fulfill its oversight responsibilities and ensure taxpayer dollars are being protected during the transition between secretaries.
What the Right Is Saying
During his June 3 testimony before the committee, Mullin said he had already canceled some of Noem's contracts but explained legal limitations on canceling agreements already in place.
"We are looking at the contracts that weren't already signed, and we did go through and cancel most of those," Mullin said during the hearing. "On the contracts, we stopped the contracts moving forward on some of the stuff that wasn't already signed."
Mullin told committee members that he could not unilaterally terminate contracts already executed unless the Office of Inspector General finds they were falsely signed under false circumstances.
"Some of the contracts were already there, they're there unless we — unless the IG takes a look at them and says that they were falsely signed under false circumstances, I can't cancel unless it is under penalty," he said during his testimony.
A DHS spokesperson responded to Thompson's letter by saying the department is conducting a standard transition review: "As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals. Any recipient of federal funding should expect accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent."
The Trump administration has emphasized that it inherited significant contracting obligations from the previous secretary and is working through them systematically as part of normal government operations.
What the Numbers Show
According to reporting by The New York Times, DHS under Noem spent approximately $1 billion on warehouses during her tenure.
The department now plans to sell seven warehouses that were purchased for a collective $700 million, potentially at a significant loss given concerns about original purchase prices.
Noem's personal review requirement applied to any spending exceeding $100,000, affecting grants and awards across the department responsible for emergency preparedness functions.
Mullin testified on June 3 that his team had reviewed unsigned contracts during the transition and canceled most of those they deemed problematic.
The Hill first reported Mullin's appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee where he committed to providing the contract review list to panel members.
The Bottom Line
Thompson's letter represents an escalation in Democratic efforts to scrutinize contracting decisions made under Noem, who left DHS after serving as secretary for approximately two years. The demand for documentation comes as the department navigates a transition between secretaries with different approaches to procurement oversight.
Mullin has indicated some contracts cannot be canceled without OIG involvement, while Thompson argues the department has independent authority and responsibility to act on contracting concerns. That legal question could become central to any congressional investigation or oversight proceeding.
The potential sale of warehouses originally purchased for hundreds of millions of dollars will likely remain an area of focus, as lawmakers from both parties have questioned whether proper due diligence was conducted before the acquisitions were made under Noem's leadership.