Kristi Noem has begun hemorrhaging staff, with four officials placed on administrative leave on orders from the White House, according to multiple reports. The officials include former deputy chief of staff Troup Hemenway, ex-deputy general counsel Giovanna Cinelli, and junior staffers Josh King and Octavian Miller. The specific reasons for the White House's intervention have not been disclosed.
Noem has withdrawn from public view, holding only one meeting this week, which was conducted virtually, senior State Department officials said. Her remaining staff were either dispersed throughout the main State Department headquarters or working from home, indicating operational dysfunction. A State Department source described that the post was intended as a soft landing so it did not look like Noem was immediately being fired, but no one really thinks she should have this job.
The scandal involving Noem's husband, Bryon, has compounded her troubles, with The Daily Mail publishing photos he sent to online fetish models. This sparked national security concerns because his activity opened her up to blackmail during her tenure as head of Homeland Security, though the specific concerns or investigations triggered remain unclear. Noem's official response to the staff departures and administrative leaves has not been provided.
Noem became the subject of mockery when photos surfaced of her in Guyana sitting next to her lover Corey Lewandowski at a table with the nation's president and other government leaders. This embarrassing debut highlighted the office's shaky start. Noem was fired as Homeland Security Secretary in early March before being appointed to her new role.
Her office was established to combat drug cartels, international criminal organizations, and migrant crime in the Western Hemisphere by coordinating with Homeland Security, the State Department, and Pentagon. However, concrete actions or initiatives undertaken by the office since its establishment have not been detailed. Some in the administration now do not expect Noem to survive in her new job, insiders said, with uncertainty over how long she will remain as special envoy.
A State Department source described that the State Department was not happy to have her here and the understanding is that she is not going to be here for much longer. Along with Noem's embarrassing debut in Guyana, there were simply no clear roles or responsibilities for many of the staff brought over, sources said. A Trump official familiar with the matter described that the thing itself is still being figured out, and it does not make sense to just have a bunch of folks not really having a substantive role.