(Rightallegiance.com) – Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has expressed his strong disapproval of a new political advertisement from Kamala Harris, which he claims misrepresents his record and involvement with border security.
In the ad, Harris highlights her efforts in fighting violent crime as a “border state prosecutor,” using footage of Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials without their consent. However, Boudreaux insists that Harris’s portrayal is far from the truth.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Boudreaux clarified his stance: “The Sheriff wants to make it abundantly clear that his image is being used without his permission, and he does NOT endorse Harris for President or any other political office.”
Boudreaux, who has served in the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for 37 years and currently holds the position of president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, reflected on a visit Harris made to the Central Valley in 2013 when she was California’s attorney general.
The advertisement in question features Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials during Harris’s 2013 visit. While Boudreaux does not recall the exact circumstances of the visit, he distinctly remembers her attitude, which left him unimpressed. “Harris claims to have spent decades fighting violent crime as a ‘border state prosecutor,’” Boudreaux stated.
“The facts are that ‘then California Attorney General Kamala’ came to the Valley in 2014 touting a years-long investigation into a multi-national drug operation, with ties to Mexican drug cartels and prison gangs.”
In that investigation, 11 people, including suspected “kingpin” Jose Magana of Dinuba, were arrested. Despite the operation’s success, Boudreaux contends that Harris’s involvement was minimal and that she did little to address the larger issues of cartel activity and illegal border crossings. He described her appearance at the time as “smoke and mirrors,” criticizing her for failing to engage with local law enforcement and for taking undue credit for their work.
Boudreaux’s frustration is shared by his political action committee, Golden State Justice, which released its own statement condemning the Harris campaign ad. The statement read: “As Attorney General, Kamala Harris undercut efforts by California law enforcement officials to stop criminals from flooding our state with guns and drugs across the border. She repeatedly defunded and shuttered task forces designed to protect our residents, leaving the Valley and our state vulnerable.”
The statement continued by condemning Harris’s attempt to portray herself as tough on border issues by implying support from Boudreaux and other local law enforcement leaders. “Kamala’s sad attempt to paint herself as tough on the border by implying my support – and the support of neighboring law enforcement leaders – is pathetic.”
Harris’s ad, which promotes her work as a border state prosecutor, also claims she will “hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.” Boudreaux, however, dismisses these claims as disingenuous, pointing out that during Harris’s tenure, there were significant layoffs within the Department of Justice, leaving many without jobs and reducing the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts.
In his closing remarks, Boudreaux reiterated his disapproval of Harris’s portrayal in the ad. “When you see that advertisement, if you do a little research, you’ll find that what she’s touting goes completely against what was happening at the time. I do not support her.”