The Department of Homeland Security initially linked records concerning aircraft purchases made during the final days of former Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure to an “ongoing criminal law enforcement investigation” in its response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Washington Sun. DHS later said the response was sent in error and that the request remained under review.
The October 14 records request sought documents related to the acquisition of seven Boeing 737-700 aircraft and one Gulfstream G650 in or around December 2025, including purchase prices, sellers, aircraft identification numbers, funding sources, purchase agreements, bills of sale, reimbursement records and flight data. The Sun said at least some of the requested records appear to exist because they are referenced in a government contracting filing.
The purchases came under renewed scrutiny after The New York Times reported that DHS bought five aircraft from Daedalus Aviation Corporation at prices above market value. The company’s chairman, William Walters, contributed $10,000 to American Resolve, a super PAC supporting Noem. Noem disputed the characterization of Daedalus as a political donor and called for a retraction or correction of the Times report.
After the Sun published its report, DHS said its initial response was sent in error and that the FOIA request was still under review. The Sun said it was appealing DHS’s initial denial of the records request. DHS had also declined a similar records request from The New York Times, citing national security and other security risks.
