California is a great place to do business — for Newsom’s donors
In California, it apparently pays to pay the governor.
After contributing to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), wealthy donors secured multi-million dollar state contracts, massive tax credits, favorable executive actions, and appointments to prestigious university posts, a Washington Examiner review of public records has found. Since Newsom took office in 2019, state records show that the California state government has awarded over $53.2 million in contracts to firms owned or otherwise led by his major donors. These contracts included funding for state fire prevention, emergency response, and public health services, among other programs.
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Newsom has recently dominated the news cycle following his high-profile clashes with President Donald Trump. While some among Democrats cast him as the party’s national leader and a natural choice for their 2028 nominee, conservative critics point to his past controversies, including other pay-for-play stories.
“Governor Newsom has a pattern of cashing in on his position and influence for personal benefit,” Americans for Public Trust executive director Caitlin Sutherland told the Washington Examiner. “It’s hardly surprising that this pattern extends to his wealthy megadonors as well. Californians, and all Americans, deserve a leader who will engage in good public policy instead of one who benefits their donors.”
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“California voters created the Citizens Redistricting Commission to stop backroom deals and restore public trust,” California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told the Washington Examiner. “Yet time and again, we see Sacramento operate like a pay-to-play club where big donors get appointments and favors. Proposition 50 would lock that same culture into our election maps, giving politicians the power to protect themselves and their allies instead of voters. Defeating Prop 50 is the only way to keep maps fair, transparent, and accountable to the people, not the well-connected.”
Proposition 50 is a special election ballot measure scheduled for a November vote that, if passed, would replace California’s current independent congressional district map with a new map drawn by the Democrat-controlled legislature.
