Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has publicly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for using his image without permission in a recent political ad that he describes as “misleading” and “fraudulent.” The ad, which aims to bolster Harris’s border security credentials, features images of Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials alongside Harris during a 2014 visit to California’s Central Valley.
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, issued a scathing statement denouncing the ad. “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,” the statement read.
The ad in question claims that Harris, during her time as California Attorney General, played a pivotal role in fighting violent crime and border-related issues. However, Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials in Southern California argue that Harris’s record tells a different story. “As a border state prosecutor, she took on drug cartels and jailed gang members for smuggling weapons and drugs across the border,” the ad asserts, also promising to hire more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.
Boudreaux refuted these claims, stating that Harris’s actions as Attorney General actually undercut the efforts of local law enforcement. “She repeatedly defunded and shuttered task forces designed to protect our residents, leaving the Valley and our state vulnerable,” Boudreaux said. He recalled Harris’s 2014 visit to the Central Valley, where she took credit for a multi-national drug operation conducted by local authorities.
According to Boudreaux, Harris made a brief appearance, did not engage with local officials, and left immediately after delivering her remarks.
The sheriff was particularly incensed that Harris used the image from that event to promote herself as tough on border security. “When she put that picture out there with me in it, I got really upset. That ad is all smoke and mirrors. I do not support her,” he said.
Boudreaux’s sentiments were echoed by Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, who also appeared in the ad without permission. Ward criticized Harris for her “disingenuous” portrayal of her record and stated that it should have been a “professional courtesy” to inform him and Boudreaux that their images would be used.
Boudreaux further emphasized his support for former President Donald Trump, stating, “I just wanted to come out and say that for me as the sheriff of Tulare County looking out for victims, looking for someone who’s going to support criminal justice and law enforcement, that is best represented by Donald Trump, not Kamala Harris.”
As the controversy continues, Boudreaux’s political action committee, Golden State Justice, also released a statement blasting Harris’s ad as “pathetic” and “deceptive,” further intensifying the clash between the sheriff and the Vice President’s campaign.
