Noem's pitch to aid Trump seems to benefit own campaign fund

South Dakota Gov. Kristi em has enthusiastically taken up President Donald Trump's efforts to contest results of presidential election, asking for online donations to “help us bring it home for president,” but it appears donations are set to flow into her own reelection account.

Republican goverr, a close Trump ally, launched a fundraising campaign soon after election was called for Biden on Saturday. website soliciting donations has “Kristi em for Goverr” in large letters at top, but below that, mess is all about Trump, saying that he “needs our support while far-left Dems declare a victory for Biden before all votes are counted.” It urges dors to "Please help us bring it home for president!”

site allows contributors to check amount of ir donation and includes a box to cover a processing “so 100% of my donation goes to Kristi for Goverr.”

em did t respond to a request for comment on how money raised would be used. Her campaign committee chairman, Steve Kirby, said he h comment on how funds would be used.

It's unlikely that much, if any, of money will end up going to Trump, said Paul S. Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, a campaign finance watchdog. Ryan, a campaign finance lawyer, pointed out that goverr can give a maximum of $2,800 to Trump’s campaign under federal law. If she wanted more to flow to Trump, she could have directed dors to president’s own donation site.

“In all likelihood, she is keeping this money that she is raising,” Ryan said. “If she were actually interested in raising money for Donald Trump’s own legal efforts, she would use a joint-fundraising committee.”

Federal election law makes it difficult for state campaign committees like em's to donate to federal campaigns because it would have to ensure donations it receives meet federal contribution limits.

Ryan compared em's solicitation to Trump's current fundraising push. Trump's solicitation, though billed as raising money for his legal fight, tes that half of contributions will go to pay off general election campaign debt.

“He’s setting example at top of party, at top of ticket,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t surprise me to see em doing something similar.”

em has emerged as a conservative star during Trump's campaign, with her travels to presidential proving grounds like New Hampshire and Iowa fueling speculation that she is eyeing a 2024 run.

national attention has helped her fill up a campaign war chest, amassing more donations in two weeks leing up to Election Day than she did in first five months of year. She has raised more than $1 million in contributions to her gubernatorial campaign in last six months.

Republican goverr has increasingly seized on national hot-button issues. Last week, she furred Trump’s allegations of widespre voter fraud by tweeting that election systems were “rigged,” even as votes were still being tallied. evidence of such fraud has yet emerged.

Trump has me an aggressive pitch to dors to help finance lawsuits and encourd supporters to rally against accepting results of election.

em has me it clear she will take up Trump's fight. In a Sunday appearance on ABC News , she said, “When you break process on which we elect our leers, you will break America forever. So this isn't just about this election, this is about every election in future.”