Democrats Refer Ex-DHS Secretary Noem to DOJ for Perjury Probe

Congressional Democrats have referred former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the Justice Department for a potential investigation into whether she committed perjury during testimony before Senate and House Judiciary Committees earlier this month.

The referral, announced by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin of Illinois and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin of Maryland, cites at least four statements Noem made under oath on March 3 and 4. It urges Attorney General Pam Bondi to examine possible violations of federal laws prohibiting knowingly false statements to Congress. The lawmakers sent the recommendation on Monday, including transcripts of Noem's responses.

Central to the referral is Noem's testimony about a $220 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign promoting immigration policies, which prominently featured her riding a horse. Noem stated that President Donald Trump had known about and approved the campaign. However, Trump told Reuters in a phone interview the following day that he had never known anything about it. During the hearing, Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana questioned Noem on the matter, asking...