Utilities, tech billionaires, and oil giants continue to pour cash to stop the one candidate who will hold them accountable

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the California Chamber of Commerce’s Jobs PAC transferred another $1.5 million into the anti-Steyer “California is Not for Sale” IE committee, bringing their total operation to $6.5 million and the total spend against Tom Steyer to $24.5 million. One thing is crystal clear here: the most powerful corporate interests in this state are terrified of the looming accountability a Steyer administration would bring.

In just the past seven weeks, the Jobs PAC has raised more than $10 million from an array of corporate interests including utility monopolies, oil companies, and Big Tech — the same players that have spent decades writing the rules and influencing Sacramento insiders to benefit themselves at the expense of working Californians.

“Every cent that goes into ‘California is Not For Sale’ is money spent to keep prices high and protect their obscene profits,” said Steyer for Governor spokesperson Sepi Esfahlani. “Needless to say, these corporate interests aren’t spending millions of dollars for the benefit of Californians, but for the benefit of their own bank accounts.”

Let’s take a look and see who these corporations are really looking out for:

• PG&E ($2.25M): The utility that’s been liable for deadly wildfires and extracted countless dollars from ratepayers while still dodging accountability.
• Edison International ($2M) and Sempra ($2.15M): Utility monopolies that have fought consumer protections and clean energy initiatives.
• Sergey Brin ($2M): Tech billionaire who’s using his personal wealth to protect the big tech status quo that actively works to make California unaffordable for working families.
• Uber ($500K) and Airbnb ($500K): Tech giants that have undermined worker and labor protections and disrupted the housing market and affordability across the state.
• Chevron ($25K): The oil company that’s been polluting California communities for over a century and has spent countless millions of dollars to alleviate responsibility and shift blame.
• McDonald’s ($250K): The fast-food industry giant that’s spent millions of dollars fighting against providing its very own workers a living wage.

None of this is a coincidence. This is a deliberate attack from the powerful interests who profit off of California’s status quo to avoid accountability and continue to have working Californians pay the price.

Tom Steyer has spent the entirety of his career taking on these very same corporations. From fossil fuel companies, utility monopolies and the billionaire class — the very same people fueling this PAC are spending millions to make sure they continue to get off scot-free, just like they have been.

###