Barack and Michelle Obama have paid moving tributes to their personal chef who drowned while paddleboarding in eight feet of water near their Martha’s Vineyard home.

 

Sharing a photo of himself and the former first lady with tragic Tafari Campbell on Instagram, the former president wrote: ‘Tafari Campbell showed us what true character looks like.

 

‘He believed that actions speak louder than words. And he used his immense gifts to bring people together, provide comfort, and spread joy. I’ll miss him every day.’

 

 

Michelle shared a similar snap of herself posing with Campbell and Obama in the White House and wrote: ‘I will miss my friend, Tafari…the emptiness is hard. But I promise to stay strong, keep living, and honor your legacy in every way possible. Rest in peace, my brother.”

 

 

Campbell was found dead close to the Obamas’ Martha’s Vineyard home on July 25.

 

He had served as their personal chef in the White House and left to continue working for the couple at the end of Obama’s second term in 2016.

 

Martha’s Vineyard Police have concluded Campbell’s drowning was an accident.

 

 

Earlier, DailyMail revealed that cops are still withholding basic information about the probe under the guise of an ‘ongoing investigation.’

 

Cops have opted to not disclose both the identity of the sole witness to the accident – an unidentified woman paddleboarding with Campbell – as well as who made the 911 call to report that he was drowning.

 

The state is citing a Public Records Law exemption that allows police to withhold any information that could jeopardize an active investigation.

 

But the head of the region’s First Amendment coalition told DailyMail.com that police are abusing that law, given they’ve already ruled out foul play.

 

The only matter pending is a toxicology report that could show whether Campbell had drugs in his system or suffered some sort of medical episode.

‘The burden is on law enforcement to show how their investigation may be jeopardized by releasing certain information,’ said Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition. ‘And they’re not doing that right now. This really flies in the face of Public Records Law.’