Becerra is desperate to talk about anything but the uncomfortable truth of this ad: if he’s indicted for corruption, it will effectively hand the election to Republicans
CALIFORNIA — Today, the Steyer for Governor campaign released a new ad outlining the high-risk nature of Xavier Becerra’s candidacy – and how nominating him could backfire for Democrats and effectively hand the governorship to Trump’s hand-picked candidate. Becerra’s former campaign manager and decades-long chief of staff have already pleaded guilty for financial crimes involving Becerra’s campaign, and questions remain about the degree of Becerra’s knowledge and involvement – questions Becerra has been unable to answer. The fact remains that if Becerra finishes in the top two with Steve Hilton, there is a very real chance he could then be indicted by Trump’s Department of Justice.
“Every minute that goes by that voters are learning about Xavier Becerra’s record, he is losing votes – and his campaign knows that,” said campaign spokesperson Danni Wang. “It’s easy to see why Becerra is desperate to change the subject, but he can’t change the facts: there is a very real chance he may face charges – a decision that’s ultimately in the hands of Donald Trump’s own Justice Department. Anyone who tries to tell you that Trump wouldn’t take that opportunity has either been living under a rock for the last 10 years, or is simply insulting your intelligence. We stand by this ad, and appreciate the Becerra campaign’s help in drawing attention to his corruption scandal and the risk that it will hand California governor’s mansion to MAGA Republican Steve Hilton.”
The Steyer campaign issued a response to a cease-and-desist letter from the Becerra campaign, which is desperately and baselessly attempting to pull the ad off the airwaves so voters don’t see the truth.
“The complaints in your letter from yesterday have no merit. But as you say, voters deserve to know the truth. And in that spirit, we welcome the opportunity to shed further light on your client Xavier Becerra’s knowledge of and involvement in the criminal actions for which Dana Williamson and Sean McCluskie—his former campaign manager and decades-long chief of staff, respectively—have already pleaded guilty, and the very real possibility that Mr. Becerra will get indicted after the primary,” wrote Steyer campaign counsel Ryan Hughes. “For example: Was your client, Mr. Becerra, knowingly making false statements when he said in a televised interview in November that he knew about the exorbitant payments being made to his campaign manager? Or was he knowingly making false statements when he said the opposite in April?”
Becerra could face charges for campaign corruption, as several independent news outlets have made clear. Becerra said in a televised interview that he knew about the exorbitant – and illegal – payments being made from his campaign account to his former campaign manager. In an indictment released last fall, federal prosecutors confirmed that Becerra was aware of the payments, which were used to supplement his Chief of Staff’s income when he left a higher-paying job to follow Becerra to HHS. Additionally, a complaint was submitted to the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that Becerra broke state law by improperly paying tens of thousands of dollars from his dormant campaign account.
As voters weigh their options in the final days of the primary, they should be aware of the questions journalists – and law enforcement officials – are asking about what Becerra knew and when he knew it. Trump’s DOJ doesn’t need to be given an inch to take a mile, and nominating someone with as much baggage as Becerra is a greater risk of giving Republicans the California governorship than the much-discussed “Democratic lockout” ever was.
“Risky” Substantiation
