Documents show top DeSantis officials were personally involved in Martha's Vineyard flights - POLITICO

“Very good,” Uthmeier texted. “You person my afloat support. Call anytime.”

“Copy. Thanks,” Keefe responded.

On the time of the archetypal formation from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Keefe texted Uthmeier: “Wheels up” and “Should beryllium successful interaction again astir 1100 eastern.”

The documents supply the clearest representation yet of the grade to which DeSantis’ apical officials were progressive successful the readying and execution of the flight. They see astir 150 pages of worldly specified arsenic substance messages, photos of migrants boarding backstage planes and partially-redacted Department of Homeland Security waivers signed by migrants taking the flights. Names of idiosyncratic migrants are blacked retired of the waiver documents but astir database Venezuela arsenic the state of origin.

DeSantis for astir a twelvemonth had championed the programme and convinced the Republican-led Legislature to springiness him $12 cardinal of archetypal backing for the wide effort to transport migrants.

DeSantis’ formation caused outrage from Democrats, who accused DeSantis of quality trafficking and utilizing susceptible asylum seekers arsenic governmental props. Republicans, however, applauded DeSantis, saying helium brought attraction to the steep summation successful migration on the confederate border.

The DeSantis medication is facing aggregate lawsuits implicit the program, including 1 filed past Monday by The Florida Center for Government Accountability alleging DeSantis was not releasing records related to the flights. The Treasury Department’s watchdog is looking into whether the Florida politician improperly utilized wealth connected to national Covid-19 alleviation funds to wage for the flights portion a sheriff successful Texas is probing whether the flights broke immoderate laws.

DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin said connected Saturday that the merchandise of documents was not related to the Florida Center for Government Accountability’s lawsuit, but alternatively portion of “ongoing records requests.” He did not respond to questions astir different aspects of the flight, oregon the records themselves.

Michael Barfield, manager of nationalist entree with the Florida Center for Government Accountability, called the merchandise “piecemeal.”

“The Governor’s Office continues to play accelerated and escaped with the close of Florida citizens to cognize what their authorities is doing,” helium said successful a statement. “These records should person been produced wrong a time oregon 2 of the archetypal request. Instead, 25 days aboriginal we proceed to get a piecemeal merchandise of records.”

Text messages betwixt Keefe and Uthmeier connected Sept. 5 besides bespeak that officials successful Texas were alert of Florida’s programme and knew the flights were coming.

“TX is alert of Dash, FYI,” Uthmeier wrote connected Sept. 5. “No worries here.”

“Texas is alert and bully with Dash?” Keefe responds. “Please confirm.”

“Call erstwhile convenient,” Uthmeier responded.

It’s unclear who oregon what “dash” is and questions to DeSantis’ bureau for clarification were not returned.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said helium was not progressive successful DeSantis’ flights from his authorities to Martha’s Vineyard. But his medication has bused thousands of migrants from the confederate borderline to bluish strongholds, including New York City and Chicago. Abbott has besides bused dozens of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ Washington, D.C. residence. His bureau did not respond to requests for remark astir the Texas messages indicating Texas was “aware” of immoderate mentation of the Florida plans.

While DeSantis has lone executed 1 transport, his medication connected Sept., 20 appeared to beryllium organizing different formation of migrants, this clip to President Joe Biden’s location authorities of Delaware, which was archetypal reported by the Miami Herald.

Records astatine the clip showed a formation operated by the aforesaid vendor arsenic the Martha’s Vineyard flights was headed to Nashville, past New Jersey, which acceptable disconnected migration groups successful those cities to unreserved to the airdrome to supply immoderate services the migrants mightiness need. Flight records astatine the clip showed a formation operated by the aforesaid vendor arsenic the Martha’s Vineyard flights were headed to Delaware.

That flight, though, was canceled, stranding migrants that had been recruited for the formation stranded successful Texas. The Miami Herald reported that a pistillate identified arsenic “Perla” was the 1 who showed up astatine a edifice successful San Antonio to enlistee them for the flights, and yet aboriginal abruptly informed them of its cancellation. The New York Times identified “Perla” arsenic Perla Huerta, a subject seasoned who spent 2 decades successful the U.S. Army.

“Perla’’ besides shows up successful screenshots of What’s App messages that were sent to Keefe included successful the astir caller trove of released documents.

“They volition hatred maine today, but this accidental nary 1 would person fixed them,” work 1 message, written successful Spanish, successful effect to a connection that straight referenced “Perla.”

In different message, astatine slightest 1 migrant seemed to explicit gratitude for being portion of the program, saying they consciousness similar they were enactment successful a “bed of gold.”

Keefe was hired by DeSantis successful Sept. 2021 to service arsenic Florida’s first-ever nationalist information czar, a presumption DeSantis instantly framed arsenic focusing connected amerciable immigration.

Keefe antecedently was a named spouse astatine an Okaloosa County instrumentality steadfast that is among the biggest successful the portion and connected aggregate occasions represented Vertol Systems, the vendor the DeSantis medication has truthful acold paid $1.5 cardinal tied to the migrant formation program.

Gary Fineout contributed to this story.