Ron DeSantis May Have Violated Campaign Rules With Helicopter Border Tour

Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis may have violated campaign rules during a recent helicopter ride near the border of the United States and Mexico. The ride comes as DeSantis is ramping up his 2024 election campaign and using immigration as a major campaign issue.

What Happened: DeSantis is seen as a frontrunner in the race to win the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, but has fallen over 30 points behind leader Donald Trump.

Stricter immigration policies are at the heart of the campaign being run by DeSantis, who is positioning himself in opposition to current President Joe Biden and asserting that Trump didn't deliver on the promises he made during the 2020 election.

During a stop in Texas, DeSantis took a ride on a helicopter to tour the border between the United States and Mexico. That ride, which was also used as a photo by his campaign’s Twitter account, has been met with backlash.

The helicopter used in the photo op is funded by Texas taxpayers, which has prompted questions of whether DeSantis violated campaign rules. Federal law states that presidential candidates have to pay for noncommercial air travel or reimburse the providers of flights, according to the New York Times.

Texas rules also prevent political campaigns from the using of state resources.

The Times reports that the Texas Department of Public Safety is the owner of the 2008 Eurocopter used for the flight.

The office of DeSantis has indicated that the governor's visit to the border was carried out in his capacity as both a sitting governor and a presidential candidate.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said DeSantis was briefed about joint immigration efforts between Florida and Texas, which could make it state business.

“The briefing included an aerial tour which was provided by D.P.S. in order to give Gov. DeSantis a clearer understanding of how Florida’s resources are being utilized along our southern border and see the challenges first hand,” Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Ericka Miller told the New York Times in an email.

The Daily Beast first reported the taxpayer-funded helicopter ride and also shared that DeSantis took a boat tour of the Rio Grande during his visit. A Fox News reporter accompanied DeSantis on both of his trips.

The boat that was used is owned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is part of a mutual agreement for the Operation Lone Star program.

Related Link: 2024 Election Betting Odds Post Donald Trump's Federal Charges, Where Does Ron DeSantis Rank? 

Why It’s Important: On Monday, DeSantis unveiled his stance on immigration policies, a topic he has been increasingly addressing during his visits to states outside of Florida.

The use of taxpayer-funded resources for political campaigns is likely to draw scrutiny toward DeSantis's recent visit and future ones.

Benzinga recently reported on the controversy over a golf simulator worth tens of thousands of dollars that was installed at DeSantis’ mansion. The golf simulator was funded by donor and businessman Morteza Hosseini and was not disclosed by the governor.

Florida law mandates that gifts must be disclosed and should not influence official state and government business.

DeSantis has faced criticism as his staff, in their capacity as Florida governor's office, reportedly made calls soliciting campaign donations from lobbyists and state lawmakers prior to the signing of the state's budget.

The Florida Democratic Party filed state ethics and elections complaints against the staffers over the phone calls.

“Any reasonable person could infer from the reporting that our governor was holding the state budget hostage in exchange for political endorsements and donations – actions that are both unethical and illegal,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement, as shared by the New York Times.

DeSantis also signed a bill earlier in 2023 that will shield his travel records from the public.

The Florida governor faces a lawsuit over the use of state money in Florida being used to transport migrants to other parts of the country.

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