LA Times: “Rep. Swalwell, candidate for governor, has an AI side gig”
SAN FRANCISCO — Two news stories published today — in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington, DC-based publication NOTUS — detail a political business founded by Eric Swalwell and his top aide that an ethics expert called “evidence that a candidate is prioritizing personal enrichment over public service.”
“Eric Swalwell has neglected his duty to the constituents who elected him, yet has plenty of time using his position in Congress to promote a business and line his own pockets,” Steyer campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao said. “California’s next governor needs to be serious about solving the problems working Californians face, not skipping out on the job he was elected to do to tend to his AI side hustle.”
Key passages of the news stories:
NOTUS: Eric Swalwell’s AI-Powered Political Startup Is Making Big Money From Democratic Allies
“Findraiser, which Swalwell co-founded in 2024 with his former congressional chief of staff, Yardena Wolf, has earned $60,000 from over a dozen Democratic campaigns, including those of longtime political allies such as Sens. Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego, according to a NOTUS analysis of Federal Election Commission data.
[...]
“Wolf, who now works for Swalwell as his California gubernatorial campaign manager, described Findraiser’s software as ‘ChatGPT for your own campaign database,’ according to promotional emails reviewed by NOTUS. The emails were sent in September, while Wolf still worked in Swalwell’s congressional office.
[...]
“Findraiser is worth $200,000 to $500,000, according to Swalwell’s personal financial disclosure covering activity from 2024.”
LA Times: Rep. Swalwell, candidate for California governor, has an AI side gig
“But some details of Swalwell’s private venture remain unclear, including the company’s investors.
“Craig Holman, a governmental ethics expert with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, said it’s common and legal for candidates to use their own businesses to promote their campaigns or the campaigns of others, as long as all business interactions are charged at market value.
“He said Swalwell can talk about his business privately but cannot do so in relation to his role in Congress, to avoid running afoul of ethics rules barring using one’s position for personal monetary gain.
“Holman called it ‘odd and politically unwise’ that Swalwell’s business will not publicly disclose all of its investors.”
[...]
“Voters may see self-dealing as evidence that a candidate is prioritizing personal enrichment over public service, which damages confidence in elections and governmental institutions,” [Beckel] said.
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