Tag: campaign finance

Billionaire Steyer’s spending binge dwarfs rival campaigns in California governor’s race

In the wide-open race for California governor, billionaire Tom Steyer is on a spending binge.

The hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist is using his personal fortune to saturate TV screens and mobile phones with advertising, while his competitors accuse him of trying to use his vast wealth to buy the state’s most powerful job.

Steyer’s ads — in which he promises to bring down household costs or rails against federal immigration raids — appear inescapable at times in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, the state’s largest media market. Data compiled by advertising tracker AdImpact show Steyer has spent or booked over $115 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio — nearly 30 times the amount of his nearest Democratic rival.

If he makes it through the June 2 primary election, Steyer could easily eclipse the 2010 record set by Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million in a losing bid for governor, much of it her own money. At the time, it was the costliest campaign for statewide office in the nation’s history.

Even when ad buys from all his major competitors are combined, along with ad purchases by independent committees supporting candidates, Steyer is outspending the field by tens of millions of dollars.

“Billionaire money is flooding our state in an attempt to buy this election,” former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, one of Steyer’s chief rivals, warned her supporters this month.

Mail-in ballots are set to go out to voters next month. Steyer is among a crowd of candidates hoping to seize a spotlight after former Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s dramatic departure from the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies.

But while Steyer has ticked up in polling amid his spending splurge, he has not broken away from the field, leaving some wondering if he’s getting value for his dollars.

“If your first round of ads doesn’t move you dramatically (in the polls), the third, fourth, fifth, six, seventh and eighth rounds won’t either,” said veteran Democratic strategist Bill Carrick, who for years advised the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “There is something inherently holding Steyer back.”

In recent prior campaigns for governor, at this stage a leading candidate was taking control of the race. This year, voters appear to be shrugging at a contest that lacks a star candidate among seven leading Democrats and two Republicans.

“Somehow the campaign is frozen,” Carrick added.

History shows that money doesn’t always translate into votes.

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Five ActBlue Employees Plead the Fifth on 146 Questions During House Judiciary Depositions – EVERY Member of Legal & Compliance Was Fired, Quit, or on Extended Leave From Platform in 2025

On Monday, The Gateway Pundit reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued ActBlue, the Democrat fundraising platform, for “deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations.” This was following an internal investigation that “prove[d] that ActBlue continues to process gift card donations” without proving identification of the donor.

The same day, the House Judiciary Committee deposed five employees after subpoenas were issued to two employees in June 2025 by Reps. Jim Jordan, Bryan Steil, and James Comer. The recent depositions included “top staff responsible for fraud prevention” and sought to “learn more about the platform’s acceptance of illegal donations – and the subsequent cover-up,” according to a post on X by the House Judiciary GOP.

The House Judiciary GOP account states that the five employees were asked 146 questions and that the ActBlue employees “refused to answer a single one, invoking their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination every time.”

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BUSTED: Gavin Newsom’s New Book is a Best Seller Because His Own Political Action Committee Spent $1.5 Million Buying Thousands of Copies

Everything about California Governor Gavin Newsom is fake. Even the numbers on his book sales.

His new book is being touted by his allies as a best seller, but the main reason it’s selling so well is because his own political action committee has spent upwards of $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of it.

That’s one way to get on the New York Times best seller list. It’s not honest, but it’ll probably work.

Not a single thing about this man is genuine.

FOX News reports:

Newsom PAC bought thousands of memoir copies about his hardships, juicing sales

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir — accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide — according to campaign finance filings.

The PAC spending helped propel Newsom’s memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.

In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies—representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold.

“We were thrilled with the response,” Click told the New York Times. “Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work.”

The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Newsom probably sees nothing wrong with this. He is a member of the same party that busses in paid supporters for rallies and [rotests, after all.

Will Democrats really nominate this faker in 2028?

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Here’s Who Donated to Eric Swalwell’s Now-Dead CA Gubernatorial Campaign

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) had a long list of top donors for his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign, which was derailed by multiple women’s allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. In less than three days, his career was essentially over. The allegations intensified last weekend, when on Sunday, he announced his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race, in which he was the frontrunner. By Tuesday, he officially resigned, just hours after another woman came forward claiming that the former congressman had raped her in 2018.

The New York Post compiled a list of donors to this man, whose known creepiness was widely recognized in Democratic and journalistic circles. He was an attack dog against the Trump administration and served a purpose that earned him protection. But once he ran for office and faced scrutiny, that protection evaporated, especially when rape is involved.

From Hollywood heavyweights to corporate titans and everyday Californians, Eric Swalwell’s donor list spans the elite to average joes.

The California Post reviewed public records and identified more than 1,700 contributors to the disgraced politician’s campaign, with donations ranging from $100 to more than $78,000.

[…]

The Post’s review of Swalwell’s campaign records shows that the ex-congressman was able to raise more than $7.3 million from about 1,700 different contributors.

Swalwell courted big money from Hollywood A-listers and special interests to bankroll his campaign, but his fake squeaky clean image also managed to fool hundreds of working-class people who forked over their hard-earned money.

[…]

Swalwell’s most prominent backers included Hollywood A-listers like Robert De Niro and Jon Hamm — both of whom gave $10,000 — while Sean Penn gave $15,000. Others who plunked down thousands of dollars believing the hype included the late actor and director Rob Reiner ($10K), actors Jon Cryer ($10K) and Ed Helms ($5K), and Bryan Lourd, CEO of Creative Artists Agency ($12,500).

[…]

Money also poured in from businessmen such as venture capitalist Bradley Tusk ($39,200) and Jon Henes ($5K), CEO of C Street Advisory Group, while Elizabeth Naftali ($39K) — a Los Angeles philanthropist and major Democratic donor — funded Swalwell’s campaign along with longtime San Francisco attorney and AI advisor Karen Silverman ($10K).

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O’Keefe Media Group: LA Housing Department Financial Officer Admits Witnessing Fraud – Embezzlement Helps Mayor Karen Bass Maintain “Re-Election Funds” 

The O’Keefe Media Group on Tuesday released undercover video of a Finance Development Officer for Los Angeles Housing Department admitting to witnessing multiple instances of fraud.

Donald Byers told the undercover OMG journalist that $10 to $20 million are going into people’s pockets and that homeless developers are embezzling money.

Byers also said that the superiors look the other way to help corrupt Democrat Mayor Karen Bass maintain “re-election funds.”

Per the O’Keefe Media Group:

Donald Byers, a Finance Development Officer from the Los Angeles housing programs, admits on hidden camera that millions of taxpayer money disappear inside the city’s low-income housing system. Byers told our undercover journalist he flagged the fraud internally but was ignored.

“I’ve reported it… nothing happens.”

Accountability is avoided. Despite years-long delays on projects, funding continues to flow even when, by his own admission, officials are failing. Meanwhile, as billions are poured into homelessness programs, the money is “going to people’s pockets.”

Despite years-long project delays, funding continues to flow even as, by his own admission, oversight appears to be failing. After raising red flags, Byers says nothing changed and now he claims, “At this point, I’m just covering myself.”

“I have a couple of developers doing really sketchy stuff,” Donald Byers said.

My project was with a developer called CRCD — Marcella Gardens. We [LA City] can’t figure out where all the money is going… it’s going to people’s pockets,” Donald Byers said.

“If they [LA Housing Department] were to call out the people [Developers] contacting Karen Bass’s office, she might not get enough money for re-election — or for what she needs done,” he said.

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Swalwell’s Campaign Paid for Room at Hotel Where He Allegedly Raped Lonna Drewes – Same Timeframe, Same Address

Murphy’s Law is an adage that basically stipulates “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

Soon-to-be former Rep. Eric Swalwell has been living that adage out this week, seeing his once-promising political career hit about six feet below rock bottom.

The progressive Californian both withdrew his nomination for California governor and announced his resignation from Congress this week after a deluge of allegations accusing Swalwell of sexually assaulting young female staffers.

Of note, Swalwell is married and has three children.

But while Swalwell has largely retreated from the public eye — presumably to work on his marriage in private — the public isn’t quite as done with him as he is with them.

In fact, in keeping with the theme of “when it rains, it pours,” gasoline has just been poured on one of those allegations that has torpedoed Swalwell’s career.

According to NBC News, a woman named Lonna Drewes came forward with some disturbingly graphic allegations against Swalwell.

“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness,” Drewes said during a Tuesday news conference.

She added, “I thought I died.”

Drewes claimed that Swalwell offered to help connect her to people who could aid with her software company. In fact, the first two meetings with Swalwell were perfectly pleasant and friendly, before the catastrophic encounter in a West Hollywood hotel.

An attorney for Swalwell has vehemently denied these claims.

“These accusations are false, fabricated and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job,” Swalwell’s attorney said.

(Swalwell has hinted that he had failed his wife, but has largely denied allegations of assault or rape.)

But while Swalwell and his team are denying Drewes’ allegation, it might be a little harder to deny the paper trail that internet sleuths have dug up.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin and California Target Book Research Director Rob Pyers took to X and documented a receipt putting Swalwell at the time and place of the alleged Drewes rape.

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Eric Swalwell paid illegal Brazilian live-in nanny under the table with campaign funds, complaint alleges

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell — a frontrunner in the California governor’s race — has been accused of violating immigration and employment law to keep his illegal live-in Brazilian nanny in the country, according to a pair of recently filed complaints.

When his South American babysitter’s temporary work authorization was about to expire in 2022, he and wife Brittany Swalwell lied to the feds to keep Amanda Barbosa working for them, a new complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor claimed.

Another complaint, filed to the Department of Homeland security in February and previously unreported, accuses Swalwell of paying the nanny under the table with campaign funds for a period of two years when she didn’t hold valid work authorization.

Barbosa appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization,” the complaint to DHS, dated Feb. 16, alleged.

The embattled California gubernatorial hopeful first hired Barbosa, 33, in the fall of 2021 to look after his three children.

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Swalwell Caught Paying His Wife with Campaign Cash for Child Care in 2026 California Governor’s Race

If you were a donor to Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign, how would you react to learning that your contributions were used to pay his own wife to watch their children?

As Swalwell now runs for governor of California, a troubling pattern of campaign spending is drawing scrutiny, one that now includes direct payments to his spouse for “childcare.”

These payments do not stand alone. They come after years of similar child care expenditures through his congressional campaign, which are already the subject of my formal complaint before the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

A New Round of Payments—This Time to His Wife

Recent disclosures from Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign show multiple payments made directly to “Swalwell, Brittany” for child care: $2,301.00, $2,026.50, and $1,740.50.

These are not minor reimbursements; they are substantial, repeated payments to a candidate’s spouse.

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Developing: Democrat Fundraising Juggernaut ActBlue Likely Lied to Congress About Foreign Donations

In early 2025, the law firm, Covington & Burling out of Washington DC, raised legal concerns that ActBlue’s CEO lied to GOP investigators in a 2023 letter explaining how the organization vetted donations to ensure that they were not illegally coming from foreign citizens.

This shocking development was published in The New York Times this week.

Laura Ingraham and Chip Roy discussed this latest ActBlue scandal on Thursday night.

** The Gateway Pundit Was First to Report on Democrat Money Laundering Using ActBlue – President Trump Called for an Investigation – The Seditious Six Now Implicated

In early December 2022, after the 2022 election, we were the first to report on what we labeled “voter mules”. These were individuals who made sometimes thousands of donations to Democrat politicians across the country, totaling up to millions of fraudulent donations. “Preacher” Raphael Warnock received $24 million from hundreds of unemployed donors, giving over 358,000 donations.

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Eric Swalwell raids retirement, delays tax payments as he runs for California governor

Eric Swalwell has been dipping into his retirement savings and postponing his tax payments as he campaigns to become California’s next governor.

The Democratic congressman, 45, who is polling as high as 17 percent in a crowded field, has also tapped more than $200,000 in campaign funds to cover childcare costs.

Tax returns from 2021 to 2024 show Swalwell dramatically reduced how much he paid in federal taxes, from $32,000 in 2021 to just $2,580 in 2022, before withholding nothing in 2023 to maximize his take-home pay.

The filings also reveal that roughly $145,000 of the family’s income came from withdrawals from retirement accounts, showing the extent to which he’s been forced to rely on savings as he gears up for his run for governor.

Swalwell’s financial maneuvering comes despite a comfortable income. He earned a congressional salary of about $184,000 in 2024 and, with his wife Brittany Watts, reports a combined annual income of about $444,000.

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