Newsom Discloses Gifted SIG Sauer Still Held by Dealer Under California Rules
He repaid the value above California’s gift cap leaving the transfer pending under the state’s purchase procedures.
Overview
- A state ethics filing lists a SIG Sauer pistol gifted last year by podcaster Shawn Ryan, noting it is with a licensed firearms dealer and not in Governor Gavin Newsom’s possession.
- California’s process to take possession would require shipment to an in-state dealer, a background check, fingerprints, a handgun safety test, affidavits, identity and address documentation, fees, and a 10-day waiting period with in-person visits.
- Newsom reimbursed SIG Sauer for the portion of the gun’s value exceeding the state’s gift-acceptance limit, which is reported as roughly $630.
- Newsom’s office did not say whether the dealer holding the firearm is located in California or another state such as Tennessee, where Ryan’s podcast is based.
- The episode draws attention to Newsom’s long record backing strict gun measures, while gun-rights advocates argue those same laws may be contributing to the delay; on the podcast, Newsom said, “I’m not anti-gun at all.”