RELEASE: Steyer Demands Becerra Return Big Oil Money
Chevron, which has given a maximum contribution to Becerra, is funding misleading attacks against Steyer
SAN FRANCISCO — Days after career politician Xavier Becerra was caught on tape declaring, “I need Chevron,” “they’re not the bad guy,” and “Chevron wants to give me a check,” Tom Steyer today demanded Becerra immediately return the maximum campaign contribution he received from the Big Oil company.
"Californians are getting ripped off at the pump by big oil companies making record profits. Now, those oil companies are bankrolling Xavier Becerra’s campaign for governor and attacking me – because they know that I’m going to take them on to lower costs, and they know that Xavier Becerra won’t,” said Tom Steyer.
"I’m calling on Xavier Becerra to return the maximum contribution he took from Chevron. The last thing California needs right now is another 30-year politician in bed with the powerful interests that are making life more expensive for Californians.”
Special interests spend upwards of $500 million lobbying in Sacramento, and Chevron has been in the top three since 2011.
BACKGROUND
Becerra accepted the maximum donation of $39,200 from Chevron for his gubernatorial campaign, which is the first Chevron donation to a California gubernatorial campaign in over a decade.
In his campaigns for Congress and Attorney General, Becerra consistently took hundreds of thousands of dollars from fossil fuel and utility companies, including Phillips 66, Southern California Edison, and Edison International.
Becerra Failed to Investigate Exxon Mobil: In 2017, 18 Congressional democrats sent a letter to Attorney General Becerra asking him to continue former AG Kamala Harris’s investigation into ExxonMobil into whether they misled the public about global warming. Becerra never opened an investigation.
Activists called on Becerra again to investigate Exxon and accused him of “undercut[ting] California’s vaunted leadership in global efforts to combat climate change.”
As a candidate for governor, Becerra has also not signed the No Fossil Fuel pledge, in which signers pledge not to take contributions of over $200 from oil, gas & coal industry executives, lobbyists, and political action committees.
The Center of Biological Diversity Action Fund recently gave Becerra a D for “Making Polluters Pay” and a C+ overall for his environmental score.
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