A visit by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to the U.S.-Mexico border last month raised concerns with government watchdogs who say Texas taxpayer dollars were improperly used to support DeSantis' presidential campaign.

What You Need To Know

  • A visit by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to the U.S.-Mexico border last month raised concerns with government watchdogs who say Texas taxpayer dollars were improperly used to support DeSantis' presidential campaign

  • "There are photos and videos of him using a helicopter that's owned by the Texas Department of Public Safety," said Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen

  • In a statement, the department suggested DeSantis' visit was related to his responsibilities as Florida's governor, saying it was "coordinated by Florida and Texas law enforcement partners who are currently working together along the Texas and Mexico border"

  • The Texas chapter of Public Citizen has called on DeSantis to reimburse Texas and has filed a public records request seeking more information about the DPS briefing and who exactly in Texas signed off on the trip

DeSantis chose Eagle Pass, Texas, to unveil his border security plan, the first policy proposal of his presidential campaign. After his speech, his campaign tweeted a picture with the words "Mission: Stop the Invasion." 

Behind him was a helicopter owned by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The state aircraft also appears in a video the campaign tweeted out.

Some government accountability groups in Texas are now raising red flags.

"There are photos and videos of him using a helicopter that's owned by the Texas Department of Public Safety," said Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizen's Texas office. "The use of state resources, taxpayer-funded resources, for a candidate for federal office is a violation of state law. So what we're really concerned about here is a misapplication of state resources." 

The day before DeSantis' border visit, the Florida governor took part in a briefing with DPS.

In a statement, DPS suggested DeSantis' briefing was related to his responsibilities as Florida's governor, saying it was "coordinated by Florida and Texas law enforcement partners who are currently working together along the Texas/Mexico border."

The department went on to say that the aerial tour aimed to give DeSantis a "clearer understanding of how Florida's resources are being utilized along our southern border and see the challenges first hand." 

DPS did not disclose to Spectrum News how much the tour cost or comment on the aircraft appearing on his campaign's social media.          

"The next day, footage of the event, which was clearly taken by the campaign, is being used for campaign social media," said Saurav Ghosh, director of the federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center. "I think it just doesn't really hold water that this was all about him being governor and thus being entitled to use public resources."

When he was in Texas, DeSantis also toured the border on a boat owned by the State of Florida. In a statement, his office characterized the boat trip with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a routine patrol and that taking part in it "is not outside the purview of the governor's job as the state's chief executive."

DeSantis' campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

The Texas chapter of Public Citizen has called on DeSantis to reimburse Texas and has filed a public records request seeking more information about the DPS briefing and who exactly in the state signed off on the trip.

"Ultimately, it's the responsibility of state officials, but candidates for public office should be held to a high standard," Shelley told Spectrum News. "And that's what we're asking for is accountability and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars." 

Texas law limits state agencies and employees from using their official authority for political purposes.