The Florida governor’s chief of staff and public safety czar swapped texts as the operation was underway, with the former writing, “You have my full support. Call anytime.”
Several of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ top aides were directly involved in flying asylum seekers from Texas to Massachusetts last month, newly released public records show. The documents, posted online at 9:23 p.m. on Friday in relation to a public records request, provide further insight into an operation that is now at the center of a criminal investigation, federal probe, and a lawsuit. In the weeks leading up to the flight, which dumped nearly 50 unsuspecting migrants on Martha’s Vineyard, DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, texted and called Larry Keefe, DeSantis’ public safety czar. The texts suggest that Keefe was on the ground in Texas, helping to coordinate the flight. “Very good,” Uthmeier responded. “You have my full support. Call anytime.” Keefe later updated him: “Wheels up.” The late-night records dump also included photos of migrants waiting to board a jet in San Antonio with their faces concealed, and redacted waivers they signed with the Department of Homeland Security. Keefe once worked as an outside lawyer for Vertol Systems, the GOP-friendly jet charter company that was paid $1.6 million by the state of Florida to fly migrants from Texas to liberal-leaning destinations.
