(Washington) The US Treasury Department’s internal watchdog is investigating whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis properly used federal pandemic aid to transport immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard as part of efforts to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.”
Posted yesterday at 8:49 pm.
The goal was to determine whether millions of dollars in economic stimulus funds distributed under a US bailout to states and municipalities had received interest to facilitate the transit of about 50 Venezuelans from Texas to Massachusetts in mid-September. Florida.
There are strict requirements on how the stimulus fund program money can be spent. Florida officials paid Destin, Florida-based Vertol Systems Co US$1.56 million for the plane to Martha’s Vineyard and possibly not to travel to Delaware, where President Joe Biden is from, the documents show.
The inspector general’s office plans to conduct audit work “on compliance and adherence to program eligibility guidelines,” Deputy Treasury Inspector General Richard K. Delmar said in a letter to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey.
“We plan to begin this work as soon as possible consistent with our other oversight mandates and priorities,” the letter said. Treasury does not have a certified inspector general.
Mr. Markey wrote to the inspector general’s office in September, shortly after Mr. DeSantis organized the trip, which received much publicity. The Florida governor said the migrants voluntarily went to Massachusetts.
Photo by Olivier Daulieri, Agence France-Presse archives
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
“Using federal COVID-related relief funds in this manner defeats the intent of Congress and appears to violate federal law,” said Mr. Markey and six other Massachusetts lawmakers wrote in a September 17 letter to M. Delmar. Mr. Mr. DeSantis “is masterfully using COVID-19 aid to score political points by exploiting vulnerable immigrants.” Marky added.
The White House called the trip to Martha’s Vineyard a “brutal and premeditated political coup.”
Mr. Delmar did not indicate when the review would be completed. Other law enforcement agencies across the United States have also launched investigations into immigration trips conducted by Republican lawmakers to Democratic strongholds.
The theft also prompted an investigation by a Texas sheriff and two lawsuits. The Treasury Department referred questions to the Office of the Inspector General, which did not respond to a request for comment.
With information from Kurt Anderson of The Associated Press.
