Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded a full retraction from The New York Times on Sunday after the newspaper published an article accusing her agency of awarding a lucrative contract to a political donor on her final day in the role.

The Times report claimed the Department of Homeland Security purchased five airplanes from Daedalus Aviation Corporation, chaired by William Walters, for a significant markup shortly before Noem departed the position earlier this year. It linked the transaction to a $10,000 donation Walters made to Noem's political action committee in 2024.

Noem responded on X, stating the article was "factually incorrect" and "libelous." She formally requested either a complete retraction or explicit corrections to the piece, titled "Kristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left."

In her statement, Noem argued that the characterization of the individual as a "donor" was materially misleading because the person did not personally make political contributions to her. She emphasized that clarifications had been provided to the journalists multiple times and that the wording created an unsupported inference of impropriety.

"Accuracy is fundamental to responsible journalism," Noem wrote. "If the individual did not personally make political contributions to Secretary Noem, or if the term ‘donor’ instead refers indirectly to unrelated entities or legally distinct contributions, the article simply fails to meet the standards of precision expected of The New York Times."

Noem, who was replaced as DHS secretary by Sen. Markwayne Mullin in March, has held the position of Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas since leaving the department. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between the former official and major media outlets over coverage of her tenure.