Washington DC - A new report has exposed what former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was up to in the final hours of her job.

According to The New York Times, federal documents reveal that the DHS agreed to pay Daedalus Aviation Corporation more than $108 million for a Boeing 737 airliner just hours before Noem officially left her role.

The plane had been converted into a massive private jet, decked out with luxurious items like a bar, marble showers, and a table made of manta ray skin.

What's particularly eye-catching about the purchase is its considerable markup, as the firm had purchased the plane for under $90 million just a few months earlier.

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The DHS also purchased two Gulfstream luxury jets for $106 million – which were bought at $83 million – and paid $45 million apiece for a pair of 17-year-old Boeing 737 passenger planes, which experts argue was also well over market value.

While the documents don't reveal why Noem and the DHS rushed the no-bid contract, the Times notes that Daedalus' chairman is William Walters, who gave $10,000 to Noem's American Resolve political action committee in 2024.

In an X post shared on Sunday, the former South Dakota governor called the article "dishonest" and "libelous," demanding the Times either retract it entirely or provide an explicit correction.

She took particular issue with the article's characterization of the individual as a "donor," insisting the label was "misleading"

"Such wording unfairly prejudices readers and creates an inference of impropriety that is not supported by the underlying facts," Noem wrote.

At the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump tapped Noem, a staunch MAGA loyalist, to head DHS.

Her role quickly became shrouded in scandal. After two US citizens were murdered by ICE agents under her leadership, she faced rumors about an alleged affair with her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, and her soon-to-be ex-husband was exposed for having a "bimbofication" kink.

Back in March, Trump demoted Noem from her role as head of DHS, replacing her with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin.

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When reached for comment about the Times' reporting, Noem and Mullin pointed blame in different directions.

In a statement, Noem insisted the purchases were not completed under her tenure and said it was finalized under Mullin.

Staff for Mullins simply told the Times the deal was secured "prior" to his leadership.

The aviation firm, meanwhile, defended the sales, arguing they reflected "the highest available value under very tight time constraints in an incredibly competitive market for aircraft acquisition."