Report: Gov. Kristi Noem paid $140K on advance for memoir in which she shot her dog
A newly posted federal financial disclosure report shows that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem made nearly $140,000 on a book advance for her latest memoir, where she controversially revealed she had killed the family dog for misbehaving,
The book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward," was released in May, and the disclosure report posted Wednesday on the U.S. Office of Government Ethics website shows she was paid the amount by Winters & King LLC, a law firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Noem wrote the book, in part, to appeal to then-presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in a bid to be his running mate during the 2024 presidential election.
However, Noem included in the memoir a 20-year-old anecdote where she described how she killed the family's 14-month-old hunting dog in training named Cricket who disrupted a pheasant hunt and killed a neighbor's chickens. She also described shooting an unnamed goat that smelled bad within that same book.
The dog- and goat-killing tales ignited a political firestorm for Noem that lasted months, and Trump's vice presidential pick eventually went to then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Noem also made $40,000 from a book advance for her first memoir, "Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from theHeartland." That was paid by Javelin, a literary agency based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Noem was selected by President-elect Trump in November to head the Department of Homeland Security, and the disclosures were made publicly available as part of the confirmation process.
The report also revealed the earnings of the governor's husband, Bryon Noem, who makes $1,135,000 through his insurance firm, Noem Insurance LLC, of which he is listed as the sole shareholder.
Noem indicated her involvement with Ashwood Strategies LLC, a limited liability company based in Delaware. In a supplemental ethics disclosure, she stated she would step down as managing member of the company upon confirmation.
Noem also plans to divest from Granite Falls Energy, a Minnesota-based bioethanol producer, of which Noem is an investor.