Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proactive protection within the face of a number of federal investigations — the governor introduced the probes whereas accusing President Trump of lawfare and rampant corruption — is beginning to attract pushback on social media, because the California chief’s personal document has steadily raised questions of pay to play.
State data present Newsom has solicited greater than $340 million in donations from rich donors and particular pursuits — a few of which have obtained preferential therapy and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in state contracts — whereas additionally taking pains to prop up the political actions of his spouse, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
A assessment of state disclosure data exhibits Newsom has reported 1,325 behested funds totaling $347,240,506 since 2011, when he was serving as lieutenant governor. The funds — authorized underneath California regulation, however a controversial if not unlawful observe in another states — are reported as soon as they hit $5,000 from a single supply in a calendar yr, and so they should be for a charitable, governmental or legislative function.
Criticism and memes of Newsom’s behavior of soliciting donations have been gaining steam because the governor introduced on Monday he and spouse are the main focus of a number of federal probes.
By comparability, Newsom’s gubernatorial predecessor, Jerry Brown, solely solicited $35.5 million in behested funds from 2010 to 2018, based on data held by the Truthful Political Practices Fee.
Newsom’s use of the controversial fundraising device exploded in 2020, when he reported $226.5 million in behested funds — about 65% of his whole since 2011. The busiest stretches got here through the coronary heart of the pandemic: $35.8 million in April, $33.9 million in Might, $30.5 million in July, $38.4 million in September and $28.1 million in October.
Blue Protect gave a $20 million donation in September 2020, and months later Newsom awarded the insurer a $15 million, no-bid contract to assist distribute California’s vaccines.
Kaiser Basis gave $9.75 million to the COVID-19 Response Fund in December 2020, and by 2022 Newsom was signing off on one other no-bid contract for the well being care supplier to handle Medi-Cal.
Since 2020, Newsom has reported $330.7 million in behested funds. The giving shifted from emergency response to local weather applications, workforce initiatives, immigrant providers, wildfire restoration, official state journey and the California Companions Mission, the nonprofit co-founded by Siebel Newsom.
FPPC data checklist roughly $4.8 million for the California Companions Mission since 2020.
That pot of cash contains $2.3 million from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which has benefited from choices by Newsom. He appointed its chairman, Greg Sarris, to the College of California Board of Regents in 2023.
The tribe gave $500,000 in April 2024, months earlier than Newsom’s workplace urged federal officers to reject a rival Koi Nation on line casino undertaking, and one other $500,000 in April 2025, a couple of month earlier than California sued to dam the undertaking.
Silicon Valley Financial institution gave the California Companions Mission 4 $25,000 donations in 2021. Two years later, Newsom lobbied the Biden administration as federal officers moved to stop the financial institution’s collapse. The Intercept later reported that three of Newsom’s non-public wineries have been shoppers of Silicon Valley Financial institution.
In 2025, Newsom reported $18.7 million in solicited donations, together with giant wildfire restoration donations after Southern California fires. The governor lately agreed to pay a $31,500 ethics superb for not reporting a few of these donations in a well timed method.
Dan Schnur, a trainer of political communications at USC and UC Berkeley, beforehand informed The Submit that the governor’s extreme use of behested funds to his spouse’s charity is an “apparent loophole” in marketing campaign finance regulation.
“They aren’t breaking any legal guidelines,” Schnur mentioned, “however [Newsom] is following this regulation extra aggressively than another politician in trendy reminiscence.”
Newsom has denied wrongdoing as federal investigators study funds tied to his spouse and nonprofits related to the couple. Trump, who referred to as for Newsom‘s arrest final yr, has not commented.
A spokesperson for the governor informed The Submit in February that Newsom’s “choices are based mostly solely on serving one of the best pursuits of all Californians.”
“Charitable contributions play no position in his decision-making,” the spokesperson mentioned. “Any declare on the contrary is categorically false.”
