PALM BEACH, FL (KELO) — An ocean-front mansion nine-blocks up the beach from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate will play host to a high-dollar fundraiser for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
The fundraiser is currently scheduled for October 14, 2022 at the Palm Beach home of Amanda and Charles Schumacher, the wealthy owners of an automotive group.
Wealth is the word of the day for the fundraiser, as a ticket to attend the general reception is $5,000 per person, or $10,000 per couple. There is a higher level of participation as well, with a ticket to dinner with the Hosts will come at the cost of either a $25,000 contribution (about the cost of the 6th cheapest car currently for sale by Schumacher Automotive Group), or $50,000 raised.
For those hoping to attend, an RSVP must be sent to Jen Fulcher, a Nebraska business-woman with a history in campaign financing. Proceeds for the event are going to the Noem Victory Fund, a federal PAC that’s gathered more than $2.5 million dollars in the past two years.
Noem’s challenger in South Dakota race for governor, Rep. Jamie Smith (D-Sioux Falls), speculated Tuesday about the reason for such extravagant fundraisers.
“She had a lot of time to raise money, and she’s done so on a national scale,” Smith said. “She is definitely not running for Governor of South Dakota with that type of money. That’s the type of money a person uses to run for a higher national office.”
Asked to clarify his point, Smith conceded that he doesn’t know exactly what Noem plans to do in terms of running for other offices, “but what I do know is what it takes to run campaigns here in South Dakota,” he said, “and I also know that she spent an entire term as governor using that to raise money for herself.”
At the time that Smith was discussing Noem’s fundraising with KELOLAND News, Noem herself was in Scottsdale, Arizona, campaigning for Republican candidate and 2020 election denier Kari Lake, who is running for Governor of Arizona.
This trip was also criticized by Smith, who called it another example of Noem choosing to go out of state instead of staying at home to help the people of South Dakota.
KELOLAND News reached out to Noem’s campaign Tuesday morning to ask if Noem will be attending the Oct. 14 fundraiser in her honor, and given the proximity, if she will be paying a house call to former President Trump while in Palm Beach. We have been in contact with the campaign, but have not received an answer to these questions.