Migrants collect after being flown in from Texas on a flight moneyed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at Edgartown, Massachusetts, September 15, 2022.
Vineyard Gazette|Via Reuters
Treasury’s Office of Inspector General is examining whether Florida incorrectly utilized pandemic relief funds to fly Venezuelan migrants to the hoity-toity resort island of Martha’s Vineyard.
FloridaGov Ron DeSantis sent out 2 airplanes last month bring 48 migrants to the Massachusetts place, where 89% of its approximately 21,000 citizens are white, as part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’ interactions director, stated at the time. Republican guvs of Texas and Arizona have actually likewise delivered migrants to blue states in current months. The actions have actually triggered outrage amongst Democrats.
Massachusetts Democratic legislators, led bySen Ed Markey, asked Treasury’s investigative arm in aSept 16 letter to take a look at DeSantis’ usage of American Rescue Plan funds allocated for Covid-19 emergency situation help to transfer the migrants. They stated the Florida Republican’s $12 million moving program is moneyed in part by interest made off of the help.
Treasury’s Deputy Inspector General, Richard Delmar, informed the state Democratic members his workplace has actually currently asked Florida for info about the state’s usage of that cash.
“We plan to get this work underway as quickly as possible,” he stated in anOct 7 letter.
The probe was reported previously by the Associated Press.
Delmar stated the workplace will evaluate whether funds dispersed as part of the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program can typically be utilized for migration and “will specifically confirm whether interest earned on SLFRF funds was utilized by Florida related to immigration activities, and if so, what conditions and limitations apply to such use.”
Markey applauded Delmar’s actions in a declaration launched Wednesday.
“I applaud the swift response from the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General,” he stated. “For the sake of the migrants who were lured onto charter planes under false pretenses, and for the commendable Commonwealth residents who rallied together to offer support, I hope that this investigation sheds light on whether Governor DeSantis misused funds that were intended for COVID relief for Floridians.”
