DHS bought five planes from Noem donor for $304 million on her last day

October 5, 2026 at 04:15 AM3 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay Daedalus Aviation Corp., a firm owned by a Kristi Noem donor, $304 million for five airplanes on her final morning as secretary. The purchases included a Boeing 737 converted into a luxury jet with a stand-up bar and marble showers, plus two Gulfstream jets and two 17-year-old Boeing 737 passenger planes. Noem's successor, Markwayne Mullin, considered backing out of the deal but was advised against it by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

Key Facts

DHS paid Daedalus Aviation Corp. $108 million for a Boeing 737 that Daedalus had bought months earlier for less than $90 million.
Daedalus spent about $83 million on two Gulfstream jets and resold them to DHS for $106 million.
DHS paid $45 million each for two 17-year-old Boeing 737 passenger planes, a price six aviation experts called millions above market value.
President Donald Trump announced Noem's firing on March 5, but she remained until Markwayne Mullin was confirmed and took over on March 24.
Mullin explored backing out of the deal but was told by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles not to block the purchase due to potential financial penalties.

The Last-Minute Purchases

The Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay Daedalus Aviation Corp. $108 million for a Boeing 737 airliner converted into a private jet with a stand-up bar, two bedrooms, marble showers, and a table covered in manta ray skin. Daedalus had bought the same plane a few months earlier from a seller who had asked for less than $90 million, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. At the same time, the agency agreed to buy two smaller Gulfstream luxury jets for $106 million, after Daedalus had spent about $83 million to acquire them. The agency also paid $45 million apiece for a pair of 17-year-old Boeing 737 passenger planes, a price six aviation experts said was millions of dollars higher than typical market value.

Transition and Aftermath

President Donald Trump announced on March 5 that he was firing Noem after a series of controversies, including questions about her agency's awarding of contracts. Noem remained in the position until her successor, Markwayne Mullin, was approved by the Senate and took over on March 24. After taking over, Mullin explored backing out of the deal, according to two White House officials, but feared a significant financial penalty. Mullin consulted White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who shared his concerns about the possible financial ramifications and told him not to seek to block the purchase. Mullin's staff did not address specific questions about that account but provided a statement saying that 'these planes were purchased prior to Secretary Mullin's arrival at DHS.'

Wider Contract Scrutiny

The Times reported in August that Homeland Security bought 10 airplanes from Daedalus during Noem's tenure, paying the firm $464 million. The agency said the planes were needed urgently for deportation flights, but it lacked the crews to fly them. The department leased one of the planes to the FBI and left the rest largely idle. The newly acquired documents reveal fresh details about five of those planes: the three luxury jets and the two $45 million passenger planes, purchased on Noem's last morning in office.