Kristi Noem is nothing if not determined… to keep her grift going, that is. And she’s apparently enlisted some help from the South Dakota Republican Party and her PAC, American Resolve PAC, Inc.

According to a campaign finance report filed by the South Dakota Republican Party earlier this year, 60.1%, or roughly $18,000, of the party’s $30,000 operational budget was spent on a large “books purchase” between January 2024 and May 15, 2024.

Speaking to local media outlet KELOLAND News, John Wiik, chair of the state’s Republican Party, confirmed that the $17,523 went towards purchasing 1,000 copies of Noem’s book, “No Going Back,” which were given to people who attended the party’s convention in early June.

In case you need a refresher, the publication of “No Going Back” in early May is widely believed to be what cost Noem her shot at being Trump’s #2.

In the 272-page memoir, she wrote in graphic detail about the time she shot and killed a 14-month-old puppy in a gravel pit because it was “less than worthless” and she “hated” it.

The shocking confession horrified pretty much everyone–Democrats and Republicans alike–and all but guaranteed she could, would, and should never be Trump’s VP pick.

“Trump isn’t a dog person necessarily, but I think he understands that you can’t choose a puppy killer as your pick, for blatantly obvious reasons,” a campaign insider told the New York Post shortly after the story broke.

It also killed Noem’s approval rating in her home state and prompted her publisher to put out a statement saying a section of the book was being removed “at the author’s request.”

“No Going Back” briefly ranked on the NYT bestseller list, no doubt thanks to the South Dakota Republican Party buying 1,000 copies upon its release, before sales fell off a cliff. Meanwhile, over at Amazon, the book debuted at number 44 before swiftly dropping to number 107 in a single day.

Backlash to the book caused Noem to cancel media appearances and go into hiding for much of the summer, although she’s recently begun slightering back out into the spotlight to campaign on behalf of Donald Trump.

She spoke briefly at the RNC last month, during which she praised the 34-time convicted felon for “[honoring] the Constitution,” when in reality he did the opposite, and crowed about how, thanks to Roe being overturned by the Supreme Court justices he appointed, South Dakota now has “the highest birth rate in the nation.”

(“In South Dakota,” Noem said, “we love babies!” …just as long as they don’t grow up to be LGBTQ+.)

Then on Friday, the gay-hating governor joined former erotic movie actress/Michigan gubernatorial loser Tudor Dixon, who ran against Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 and lost by over 10 points, for a town hall in the Detroit area to talk with women voters about “why Donald Trump must win” the 2024 presidential election.

The hour-long event was paid for by Noem’s PAC, American Resolve PAC, Inc., which aims to “help conservatives win the most important races” by deploying her around the country to speak at rallies, fundraisers, town hall events, and other conservative events.

“The American Resolve team is committed to putting Kristi and her team on the ground in key races across America, giving those candidates direct access to the governor,” the PAC’s website reads. “Kristi Noem perfected the recipe of winning by leading with resolve on the tough issues–and she’ll show these leaders how to win.”

In other words, it’s essentially just a way for her to fund her travel expenses and boost her national profile.

On Twitter X, Noem claimed her event with Dixon drew “over 450 Michiganders.” Media reports, however, claimed the number was closer to “around 300.”

While the governor is clearly trying to move on from her puppy-killing controversy so she can devote more time to her new grift of traversing the country on her PAC’s dime, it’s clear that many people aren’t quite ready to do so, and might never be.

During last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Republican Ana Navarro made a jab at both Trump and Noem for their treatment of animals.

“Kamala Harris, she likes dogs,” Navarro said. “Dogs are good judges of character, so are cats. We cannot elect a president who does not like dogs or hangs around with people who shoot them.”

Watch.

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