Campaign Finance

In a corruption scandal that shocked Sacramento, Dana Williamson was accused of conspiring with Becerra’s longtime chief of staff and another Sacramento lobbyist to divert $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant state campaign.

It takes tens of millions of dollars to run a statewide campaign for governor. Strategists say the many Democratic candidates aren’t raising money quickly enough.

After a CalMatters report, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law requiring lawmakers to disclose when they’ve gotten a new job. Will it uncover corruption?

California card rooms emerged victorious in the latest battle over whether tribes should have exclusive rights to offer Las Vegas-style gambling.

California’s political watchdog is fining former Assemblymember Evan Low $106,000 for campaign finance violations after he admitted trying to conceal payments to actor Alec Baldwin, who appeared at a 2020 fundraiser for Low.

Between the summer session of the California Legislature featuring hot topics like AI regulation and money for journalism, and a special one focusing on gas prices, powerful corporations poured in record-setting money to influence lawmakers.

The tech giant spent $10.7 million lobbying the Legislature and governor from July through September during a media bill fight. It also showered elected officials with $107,500 in campaign cash on one day in September.

Independent expenditure committees have put nearly $100 million into legislative races, funding ads to support, and often attack, candidates. The outside, unlimited spending is increasing with each election.

Proposition 33 on local rent control and the related Proposition 34 are attracting the most campaign cash by far of the 10 ballot measures. But the amount pales to what was spent on dueling sports betting measures in 2022.

Campaigns in California’s hottest congressional races are being boosted by outside groups. That money is on top of fundraising by the candidates, where Democrats are besting Republicans.