Senators demand Daedalus aircraft contracts and Noem-Walters communications from DHS Secretary Mullin (update, Oct. 19, 2026) Case On Oct. 8, 2026, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Adam Schiff and Peter Welch wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin asking for the contracts, costs and communications behind DHS's $464 million no-bid aircraft purchase from Daedalus Aviation, with a response date of Oct. 22. The letter, their fourth to Mullin, repeats reported allegations of overpayment for five planes in Noem's final hours; DHS has said the planes will carry government leaders and members of Congress and has declined to explain the no-bid award, citing national security. The claims in the letter are the senators' and the press reports they cite, not findings. The Oct. 8, 2026 letter and what it requests On Oct. 8, 2026, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations), Adam Schiff and Peter Welch wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin about aircraft DHS bought from Daedalus Aviation Corporation. The letter says it is the fourth from these senators since Mullin took office. They ask for a response by Oct. 22, 2026 with: the contracts or other agreements for each Daedalus aircraft purchase; any addenda, schedules or modifications; a detailed account of each aircraft's purchase price, maintenance, operating and storage costs and current disposition; and all communications between William Walters or Daedalus agents and former Secretary Kristi Noem, former senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, or other DHS personnel involved in awarding or administering the contracts. The senators argue that neither DHS's national-security rationale for withholding records nor an ongoing inspector general review justifies withholding records from Congress. Claims the letter cites (allegations, not findings) The letter cites an Oct. 4, 2026 New York Times report that DHS made a contract modification in Noem's final hours that overpaid Daedalus for five aircraft, and calls it a "windfall" for a political donor. The letter says DHS bought 10 aircraft for $464 million under a no-bid contract in fall 2025 and that many sat idle despite the stated deportation purpose. It says one Boeing 737 cost $108 million after previously being listed below $90 million, two more 737s cost $45 million each (above typical market value according to experts), and two 10-year-old Gulfstreams cost $53 million each, a markup of more than $11 million apiece. The letter says Daedalus chairman William Walters gave $10,000 to Noem's American Resolve PAC in 2024, and that Salus Worldwide Solutions, another Walters-led company, received separate no-bid DHS contracts under Noem. The letter says Mullin reportedly considered backing out of the deal but feared a large financial penalty, and that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly told him not to block the purchase. It says DHS paid Daedalus more than $2 million in each of May and June 2026 for aircraft storage. DHS and Noem's side, and an unresolved timing question The letter says DHS now states that four of the 737s will fly government leaders and members of Congress on overseas trips rather than deportation flights, and that DHS has not said when, if ever, the aircraft will be used for deportations. DHS declined to release its rationale for the no-bid award, citing national security. In August 2026 a DHS statement said the Daedalus contract was made and approved by department leadership before Mullin was sworn in; a spokesperson for Noem told the Times the purchase was finalized under Mullin. The New Republic's summary of the Times reporting says the contract reportedly rose by $303 million on the day Mullin was sworn in. That is a secondhand report and sits uneasily with the Oct. 4 account of five planes bought in Noem's last hours; the underlying Times documents are needed to reconcile the two. Perspectives Critic — Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Adam Schiff and Peter Welch The purchase was a windfall for a political donor, the aircraft prices exceeded market value, and the planes have largely sat idle despite the urgent deportation rationale. DHS's national-security claim and the inspector general review do not justify withholding contracts and communications from Congress. Official position — Department of Homeland Security The Daedalus contract was made and approved by department leadership before Secretary Mullin was sworn in, and the department reserves the right to adjust course. The department has said four 737s will fly government leaders and members of Congress, and it has declined to release the rationale for the no-bid award, citing national security. Research notes Update to the published entry on the Daedalus purchase. Sources: the senators' Oct. 8, 2026 letter (primary document, fetched and read) and the New Republic's Aug. 13, 2026 summary of a New York Times report. The Oct. 4 New York Times report the letter relies on is paywalled and is cited in the published entry through Mediaite, Raw Story and the Daily Beast.\n\nWhat the sources do not establish: that any payment or donation influenced the award; that the markups were improper rather than a broker's margin (Daedalus has not disclosed its costs); the outcome of the inspector general review the letter mentions.\n\nOpen leads:\n- Whether DHS answers the Oct. 22 deadline, and what records it produces.\n- The senators' earlier letters: the Aug. 25, 2026 letter to Mullin and a signed letter to the DHS inspector general about the Noem jets (both on hsgac.senate.gov; not yet read).\n- The New Republic's report that the contract rose by $303 million on the day Mullin was sworn in; this conflicts with the Oct. 4 account of five planes bought in Noem's last hours and needs the Times documents to reconcile.\n- The New York Times Oct. 4 article itself (paywalled). Note DHS has not publicly explained the no-bid award beyond a national-security rationale, and Noem's office and DHS under Mullin disagree over who finalized the purchase; the senators' overpayment and windfall characterizations are allegations. Sources [1] Sens. Blumenthal, Schiff and Welch — letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin (Senate HSGAC) (https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-10-8-Blumenthal-Welch-Schiff-Letter-to-Secretary-Mullin.pdf) · 2026-10-08 [2] The New Republic — Kristi Noem and Markwayne Mullin Trade Blame Over Useless DHS Planes (summarizing a New York Times report) (https://newrepublic.com/post/214285/kristi-noem-markwayne-mullin-hundreds-millions-planes-homeland-security) · 2026-08-13 Connections Related — DHS's $464 million no-bid aircraft purchase from donor-linked Daedalus Aviation, including five planes bought hours before Noem left (2025-2026) Update to the published Daedalus entry: the Oct. 8 senators' letter requesting contracts and communications, due Oct. 22.