When Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that federal investigators have been focusing on his spouse as retaliation for his battles with the Trump administration, he provided a well-recognized protection: Solid the highly effective as victims and hope nobody seems to be too intently backstage.
His spouse, Jennifer Siebel Newsom — who makes use of the title “First Companion” — was described by the governor as somebody who has “devoted her life to supporting ladies and women,” portraying her work as charitable and separate from his political profession.
A better look tells a extra difficult story.
Authorized consultants who spoke to The California Publish stated at the least one in every of Siebel Newsom’s nonprofits — and its monetary relationship together with her for-profit manufacturing firm — raises important questions on compliance with federal tax-exempt charity legal guidelines.
Federal investigators primarily based in Sacramento are inspecting Siebel Newsom’s nonprofits, tax issues and different undisclosed actions.
Political activism within the classroom
Siebel Newsom oversees two nonprofits: The Illustration Venture, which produces documentary movies and academic supplies, and the California Companions Venture, which focuses on gender fairness initiatives.
Two of her documentaries — “Miss Illustration: Rise Up” and “The Nice American Lie” — characteristic the governor offering political commentary. Accompanying classroom supplies encourage center faculty, highschool and school college students to take part in civic and political activism.
In “The Nice American Lie,” Newsom seems 5 instances delivering political messages, in keeping with analysis by OpenTheBooks.com, together with: “We’re not bystanders on this world, we’ve got the power to step up and resolve large issues, we’ve got finished that previously, it’s only a query of prioritization, of political will.”
One accompanying curriculum asks college students: “What different actions can you’re taking at a group stage to cut back inequality?”
The lesson continues: “Register to vote, in the event you’re not already registered. Then vote for candidates who present empathy by their help [sic] care insurance policies (a dwelling wage, equal pay, paid household go away, common healthcare, well-funded training, progressive taxation, insurance policies that worth caregiving/homemaking, and so forth.) Additionally, work on campaigns to register others to vote for candidates who help a care financial system.”
Derek Ross, a California political legislation legal professional, stated the language raises important authorized considerations.
“If 501(c)(3) funds have been used to draft and/or distribute the curriculum language, it raises important considerations below IRS guidelines governing charitable organizations,” Ross instructed The California Publish.
“Any cheap reader will perceive candidates who help these insurance policies means Democrats,” he stated.
Ross stated the voter registration language additionally raises considerations.
“A 501(c)(3) can’t situation registration outreach on the registrant’s coverage views,” he stated. “To the IRS, that’s probably focused partisan registration exercise, which is prohibited.”
Newsom’s spokeswoman Tara Gallegos stated the claims had ”nothing to do with our workplace.”
“The Governor’s participation (which was filmed earlier than he even took workplace) was in his private capability,” she stated.
Chuck Walker, a retired IRS agent who specialised in tax-exempt group compliance, stated he couldn’t remark particularly on the Siebel Newsom organizations however stated any charity encouraging help for candidates aligned with a specific political philosophy dangers violating IRS guidelines.
“The nation could be very polarized, and there’s not a lot of a grey space,” Walker instructed The Publish.
“While you say vote for somebody who shares our values for progressive taxes, after all the conservative aspect would help much less taxes, and on the liberal aspect, it’s a extra progressive tax system.”
Walker stated a statewide elected official showing prominently in a partner’s nonprofit-funded productions — mixed with cash flowing between nonprofit and for-profit entities – would possible appeal to IRS scrutiny.
He pointed to the landmark 1989 American Marketing campaign Academy case, wherein the IRS efficiently denied tax-exempt standing after figuring out the group primarily benefited one political occasion fairly than the general public.
These signing nonprofit tax returns certify below penalty of perjury that the group will not be engaged in prohibited political exercise or offering improper non-public advantages, Walker stated.
“If there may be any benefit, fruit, or acquire to an insider, which may very well be an officer, director, founder, substantial contributors, key individual — principally any individual who controls it, there may be an excise tax of 25% that may be imposed on that extra profit to the person,” Walker stated.
Gallegos didn’t straight reply whether or not both Jennifer or Gavin Newsom sought authorized recommendation concerning the governor’s appearances within the movies.
“The fabric you’re referencing will not be linked in any official capability to the state,” she stated.
The enterprise mannequin
The monetary construction of Siebel Newsom’s organizations is intently linked.
Her for-profit manufacturing firm Women Membership Leisure produces the documentaries earlier than licensing them to the nonprofit Illustration Venture, the place she serves as paid CEO. The nonprofit then sells instructional screening packages to varsities nationwide for almost $300 every.
In line with Siebel Newsom, roughly 5,000 faculties in all 50 states have bought the supplies.
IRS filings present Women Membership Leisure acquired roughly $3.7 million from the Illustration Venture between 2012 and 2023 — roughly $300,000 yearly.
PG&E — the utility convicted on six felony counts following the deadly San Bruno fuel pipeline explosion and later discovered criminally answerable for the wildfire that killed 84 individuals in Paradise — donated at the least $360,000 to the Illustration Venture.
The corporate later acquired a board seat and a producer credit score on one in every of its movies.
The Newsoms stopped accepting PG&E donations after the Paradise Fireplace. The utility later contributed $350,000 to help Newsom’s Proposition 1 psychological well being poll measure, the $6.4 billion psychological well being and homeless housing bond authorized by voters in 2024.
A community seeded by the governor
The California Companions Venture has additionally acquired at the least $4.3 million in behested funds — charitable donations solicited within the title of a public official.
California legislation requires such funds to be publicly disclosed, although critics describe the follow as legalized pay-to-play.
The nonprofit’s board additional illustrates its political connections.
Members embody Tom Willis, a accomplice at Olson Remcho, the legislation agency that recurrently represents Newsom, together with earlier than California’s Truthful Political Practices Fee, which fined the governor $31,500 on June 18 for failing to well timed disclose sure behested funds.
Different board members embody Joanna Rees, whom Newsom appointed to chair the California Workforce Improvement Board in 2025, and Brian Brokaw, a longtime adviser to the governor.
Gallegos defended the follow.
“Behested funds are a longstanding, authorized, and clear follow utilized by officers of each events to help charitable and authorities initiatives, with public disclosure required below the legislation,” she stated.
“The existence of publicly reported behested funds is proof of transparency — not wrongdoing.”
Critics argue the dimensions deserves higher scrutiny.
Public information present California politicians directed $555.9 million in behested funds over the previous 15 years. Newsom alone accounted for $347.2 million — greater than 62% of the statewide complete.
The nonprofit community additionally overlaps with lots of Newsom’s longtime political and monetary allies.
Members of the Pritzker household have contributed almost $650,000 to the California Companions Venture.
In 2024, Newsom bought a $9.1 million residence from Pritzker inheritor Daniel Pritzker.
The Getty household – longtime benefactors of Newsom’s enterprise ventures and political profession — additionally stay intently linked.
Aileen Getty serves as govt producer of the Illustration Venture’s latest documentary.
Actress Reese Witherspoon, Melinda French Gates, Hillary Clinton and former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi have additionally supported the group.
The newest movie, “Miss Illustration: Rise Up,” debuted earlier this month.
Trans ideology marketed as training
Newsom has portrayed his spouse’s organizations as charities devoted to serving to ladies and women.
Their instructional supplies lengthen nicely past that mission.
Curriculum guides embody supplies selling nonbinary gender ideology, together with the “Genderbread Particular person” graphic illustrating gender id and expression throughout spectrums.
College students additionally take part in workout routines such because the “Privilege Stroll,” inspecting race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic standing.
The Illustration Venture states on its web site: “We’re right here to alter the world… These documentaries on limiting gender narratives have been considered almost 30 million instances, with our movie curricula altering the lives of over 2 million college students.”
The positioning continues: “Collectively we’re bending the lengthy arc of historical past towards intersectional gender justice.”
In 2025, Siebel Newsom partnered with Constructive Teaching Alliance, which has opposed bans stopping transgender athletes from competing in women’ highschool sports activities.
The accountability query
There may be nothing inherently improper a couple of governor’s partner working nonprofit organizations.
Nor are behested funds unlawful.
However Newsom’s insistence that his spouse’s charities function independently of his political world is tough to reconcile with the accessible proof.
The boards, donors, curriculum, contracts and monetary relationships all level to organizations intently linked to the governor’s political community fairly than working as impartial charitable ventures.
When a governor’s partner runs nonprofits financed by corporations searching for state approvals or help, staffed by political allies and producing movies that includes the governor himself, the general public is entitled to ask whether or not these organizations perform as impartial charities or as extensions of a broader political operation.
Federal investigators could finally determine whether or not any of that exercise crossed the authorized line.
Susan Crabtree is White Home & Nationwide Political Correspondent for RealClearPolitics
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