DeSantis Paid Oregon Company Over $600,000 to Transport Immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard – Threatens ‘More Flights’
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis paid an Oregon company with an airport hangar office in Destin, Florida $615,000 to transport approximately 50 asylum-seeking immigrants from Venezuela to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, according to several reports.
On Friday he threatened there may be “more flights” to come. “Records show the company, Vertol Systems Company Inc., was paid on Sept.
8. A week later, DeSantis took credit for sending a group of 48 migrants — most, if not all, from Venezuela — to Martha’s Vineyard,” the Tampa Bay Times reports. “Vertol Systems’ website shows it is based in Hillsboro, Oregon, but has operations in Destin in Florida’s Panhandle.” What appears to be Vertol System’s website is currently down, but an archived copy says their mission is: “Organize quickly and deploy rapidly to provide personnel, maintenance support, management and operational experience to safely execute the mission.” It also says it “is the only civil company currently operating Russian helicopters in the United States.” The Florida governor, in a re-election battle with Democratic Congressman and former Florida governor Charlie Crist, “suggested for the second time this week that the migrants were not transported from the state, a requirement that Florida lawmakers included in the state budget when they approved the publicly funded program to relocate migrants.” READ MORE: Religious University Shutters All Student Clubs Rather Than Recognize One LGBTQ Group – Despite Supreme Court Order That requirement is apparently part of a Florida law that, according to attorney and former Florida Democratic Attorney General candidate Daniel Uhlfelder, also requires two bids for the contract.
