Overview
- An analysis by the New York Post found donors gave more than $4.4 million to the California Partners Project at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request, including contributions from Silicon Valley Bank, the Pritzker family, two tribal governments, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and New Venture Fund.
- Behested payments are legal in California and must be disclosed to the Fair Political Practices Commission, though critics say the rules remain lax even after 2021 changes.
- The governor’s spokesperson said charitable contributions do not influence his decisions, while ethics commentators described the arrangements as a glaring loophole despite being within the law.
- IRS records cited in the coverage indicate The Representation Project paid Jennifer Siebel Newsom a $150,000 salary in 2024 and paid her production company, Girls Club Entertainment, another $150,000, with roughly $3.7 million to her and her company over the past decade.
- Reporting also notes state promotion of Siebel Newsom’s films for classroom use, a state-created fund’s $5,000 grants to her nonprofit in 2023 and 2024, and past suspensions or delinquencies on her company’s California business license.