Campaign Finance

The three leading Democrats in California's U.S. Senate race are rejecting campaign donations from corporate political action committees. But showing independence from Big Business isn’t that simple.

A bill would let state legislators, who say they fear for their safety, shield their property holdings from disclosure forms. But critics say that could conceal potential conflicts of interest.

It’s the highest-profile race next year in California. This is where the leading candidates — Democrats Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff — are raising the most money.

The most sweeping bills to change California elections got shelved in the Legislature. Instead, lawmakers are focusing on ballot measure language, local redistricting, voting integrity and campaign finance tweaks before the 2024 election.

Gov. Gavin Newsom went on a four-day policy tour, but it cost taxpayers five times more than making a State of the State speech, according to public records obtained by CalMatters. The governor's office says it was important for Newsom to take his message across California.

Sen. Catherine Blakespear appears to be the only member of the California Legislature who has a legal defense fund. She is using it to cover bills from a lawsuit from the time she was Encinitas mayor.

A 2015 law to bring more transparency to paid trips for California legislators has led to only two disclosure forms being filed by the sponsoring groups. The law's author says it is being wrongly ignored.

Members of the California Legislature took nearly $1 million worth of trips sponsored by interest groups in 2022. The California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy accounted for 40% of the travel spending. Over the years, some of its trips led to legislation.

If you want to try to influence California legislators, there are lots of ways: Nice dinners, fundraisers, campaign contributions, one-on-one conversations. You can also take them on trips to exotic places around the globe. That’s how the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy likes to roll.  As CalMatters’ politics reporter Alexei Koseff and […]

Last year, the Legislature voted to curb campaign contributions to local government officials from those affected by official business. While the new law is very narrow, it now faces a legal challenge.