Gavin Newsom and Texas Sheriff Compared Notes on DeSantis

California Governor Gavin Newsom said this week that he met with a Texas sheriff to "compare notes" about possible criminal charges for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over migrant flights.

"I met with a sheriff that wants to press charges with him just yesterday from Texas who was disgusted by what Ron DeSantis did coming into his jurisdiction under false pretense, deceiving kids, not just adults, by sending them on an airplane to an island, Martha's Vineyard," Newsom said while speaking with KTTV anchor Elex Michaelson.

"I met with him to compare notes yesterday because it's exactly the playbook that DeSantis and his staff did to send migrants in California. I find that disgraceful," Newsom added.

The comments by the Democratic governor of California come shortly after several groups of migrants were flown from Texas to California, with documentation suggesting that the flights were organized by Florida and DeSantis.

".@RonDeSantis you small, pathetic man. This isn't Martha's Vineyard. Kidnapping charges?" Newsom wrote on Twitter following the flights and included a link to California's legislative code for punishments if found guilty of kidnapping.

DeSantis eventually responded to the criticism while speaking to supporters in Arizona. He said, "These sanctuary jurisdictions are part of the reason we have this problem because they have endorsed and agitated for these types of open border policies," Politico reported.

"They have bragged they are sanctuary jurisdictions. They attack the previous admin efforts to try to have border security," DeSantis said. "When they have to deal with some of the fruits of that they all of a sudden become very, very upset about that."

Newsweek reached out to DeSantis's press office via email for comment.

While speaking with Michaelson this week, Newsom was pressed to reveal which Texas sheriff he spoke with. While he did not explicitly say his name, he did note that the sheriff "wants to pursue criminal charges."

"And we are investigating whether or not the similarities in the contours of consideration allow us to do the same because we believe in accountability and we think this is wrong," Newsom added.

Earlier this month, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar announced that he had filed criminal charges against DeSantis for the migrant flights that were sent by the Florida governor to Martha's Vineyard in 2022.

"The charge filed is unlawful restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony. At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA's office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public," the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said in a statement obtained by KSAT News.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office confirmed to Newsweek that Salazar met with Newsom at the Major County Sheriffs of America Conference in California. The spokesperson also confirmed that the two spoke about recent migrant flights from Texas to California.

"This humanitarian crisis affects the entire country," Salazar told Newsweek in a statement. "I was fortunate to be in a position to meet and confer with Governor Newsom to discuss our respective cases regarding the migrant flights.

"Among topics discussed was the status and the nature of the criminal investigation. I look forward to further conversations and collaborations with authorities in other affected areas," Salazar said.

Update 6/15/23, 9:20 a.m. ET: This story was updated with further information from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and a statement from Sheriff Javier Salazar.