A California sheriff is upset after finding himself in a new Kamala Harris political ad that he says distorts the truth.
“In light of a recent political ad put out by Kamala Harris featuring Sheriff Boudreaux, as well as other local law enforcement, 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,” Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Boudreaux, with 37 years in the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, recalls a visit from Harris in 2013 when she was California attorney general.
The video shows Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials during Harris’s visit to the Central Valley. He can’t remember the specifics but recalls her attitude.
Boudreaux pointed out misleading information in the ad. “Harris claims to have spent decades fighting violent crime as a ‘border state prosecutor,’” he said. “The facts are that she came to the Valley in 2014 to promote a years-long investigation into a drug operation tied to Mexican cartels.”
In that case, 11 people were arrested, including suspected “kingpin” Jose Magana of Dinuba. Boudreaux says Harris did little to stop illegal border crossings.
Boudreaux added that Harris’s appearance was all “smoke and mirrors.” “We were in the green room. She never came in to say hello. She gave her presser and left without greeting us,” Boudreaux said. “I’m disgusted because she didn’t shake hands or say hello.”
Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, who also appears in the ad, shared Boudreaux’s frustration.
“The hypocrisy knows no bounds,” Ward told Fox News Digital. “Her campaign ad touts her reputation as a prosecutor, but she was attorney general during some of the worst tragedies in California.”
Boudreaux’s political action committee, Golden State Justice, issued a statement about the ad.
“As Attorney General, Kamala Harris undercut efforts to stop criminals from flooding our state with guns and drugs,” the statement read.
The statement criticized Harris for defunding task forces and leaving the state vulnerable. “Kamala’s attempt to paint herself as tough on the border by implying our support is pathetic,” it continued.
The new ad promotes Harris as a border state prosecutor who will “hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.”
Boudreaux was infuriated by the ad. “How can you promote being tough on the border while eliminating task forces? That made us mad,” he said.
Boudreaux said the Department of Justice layoffs at the time hurt many people. “When you see that ad, you’ll find it’s all smoke and mirrors,” Boudreaux said. “I do not support her.”
Ward agreed, emphasizing that a simple courtesy of informing them about their appearance in the ad would have been appreciated.
“We’re not hard to find,” Ward said. “We have the right to clarify the records. Just like Sheriff Boudreaux, I do not want that photo to imply support for her in any way.”