WASHINGTON — In a striking escalation of internal tensions within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), former Secretary Kristi Noem has alleged that members of her own staff engaged in a systemic surveillance campaign against her, utilizing hidden spyware and clandestine “secure rooms” to monitor her communications.
Noem, who served as the first DHS Secretary under the second Trump administration until her departure in early March 2026, claims that the breach was only uncovered through the intervention of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team.
Surveillance and the “Deep State”
Speaking on the PBD Podcast hosted by Patrick Bet-David, Noem detailed a “dangerous” environment of internal sabotage. She alleged that DHS employees—whom she categorized as part of a “deep state” resisting the administration’s agenda—secretly installed surveillance software on her government-issued smartphone and laptop.
“Elon and his team were extremely helpful to me,” Noem stated during the interview. “They helped me identify that some of my own employees had downloaded software on my phone and my laptop to spy on me, to record our meetings.”
The former Secretary further claimed that this surveillance was not isolated to her office but extended to several other “politicals” within the department. While Noem did not provide specific technical documentation during the podcast, she asserted that the software allowed staffers to monitor real-time activity and capture audio from internal deliberations.
The Discovery of “Secret Files”
Beyond personal device monitoring, Noem alleged the discovery of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) on a university campus that functioned as a repository for “secret files that nobody knew about.”
According to Noem, the facility contained sensitive documents on highly controversial subjects, including:
- The origins and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Intelligence related to Jeffrey Epstein.
- Classified records concerning the John F. Kennedy assassination.
Noem claimed that a DHS employee discovered the locked room, and after gaining access, the team turned the contents over to attorneys. The department has not officially confirmed the existence of this specific unauthorized SCIF or the nature of the documents allegedly housed there.
DOGE’s Expanding Reach
The involvement of Elon Musk’s DOGE team in uncovering the alleged spyware highlights the unprecedented access Musk has maintained over federal IT infrastructure. In early 2025, President Trump issued an executive order granting the DOGE team “full and prompt access” to unclassified agency records and software systems to identify waste and fraud.
Critics, however, have raised alarms regarding the legality of this access. Civil liberties advocates argue that allowing private-sector engineers to audit government-issued devices and sensitive data repositories creates significant privacy risks and could be used to target career civil servants.
Legal and Political Turmoil
Noem’s allegations arrive as the DHS remains embroiled in legal challenges over its own surveillance practices. A class-action lawsuit filed in Maine in February 2026—Hilton v. Noem—accuses the department of using facial recognition and license plate readers to intimidate and harass legal observers of immigration enforcement operations.
The lawsuit alleges that DHS agents labeled American citizens as “domestic terrorists” for recording public law enforcement activities. Noem’s recent claims appear to flip the script, framing the agency’s rank-and-file as the primary perpetrators of illicit surveillance rather than the leadership.
What’s Next
The Department of Homeland Security has yet to issue a detailed public response to Noem’s claims or clarify the status of the investigation into the alleged spyware. Congressional oversight committees are expected to seek further testimony from Nove regarding the “secret files” and the extent of DOGE’s involvement in agency security.
