Steyer: “Under my plan, taking money from oil companies — like the $39,200 check Xavier Becerra took from Chevron just months ago — would be illegal in California.” 

California — Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer announced a comprehensive plan to crack down on corruption in Sacramento, taking direct aim at the outsized influence of corporations and special interests in California politics. The proposal lays out a bold framework to curb corporate power, strengthen oversight, and restore public trust in government. This plan also comes as the cloud of corruption grows over Xavier Becerra, whose former top adviser is facing nearly two dozen federal charges and is reportedly in plea negotiations with prosecutors on corruption charges relating to the management of his campaign, in addition to his former chief of staff who was indicted on corruption charges. 

“For far too long, corporations have been able to buy our politicians, write the rules, and rig the system against working people. As governor, I will take on corruption and the corporations that are paying off politicians and ripping off Californians,” Steyer said.

“They write the checks, and politicians like Xavier Becerra protect their profits. It’s not just the corruption happening under his nose; it’s the corrupting influence of corporate money on his decisions. As Attorney General, Becerra took thousands from Big oil — then refused to prosecute them. Under my plan, taking money from oil companies —

like the $39,200 check Xavier Becerra took from Chevron just months ago — would be illegal in California.”

Tom’s plan comes amid growing concern about the scale of corporate influence in state politics. Over the past two years, special interests have spent nearly $900 million to shape policy outcomes in Sacramento, with industries like oil and utilities pouring tens of millions into lobbying efforts to protect their bottom line and jack up costs for working Californians. Special interests, including PG&E, Big Oil and real estate developers are also currently running $20+ million in attack ads against Steyer. 

Becerra’s story on the corruption charges facing his campaign has shifted. In November 2025, he said he was fully aware of the payments currently under investigation, but then, six months later, he claimed to have no knowledge of them. 

Tom’s Plan to Stop Corruption 

Tom’s proposal includes a series of aggressive reforms designed to dismantle the pipeline of money and influence between corporations and politicians:

• Ban Corporate Political Spending: Seek legislation to declare that corporations are not people and prohibit them from engaging in political activity. Corporations that attempt to influence elections could face revocation of their state corporate privileges.
• Block Utility Influence in Elections: Prevent electrical and gas utilities from spending money to influence elections and empower regulators to investigate ethics violations, in order to lower utility prices for California.
• Boost Oversight and Enforcement: Increase funding for the California Department of Justice to investigate corruption and hold bad actors accountable.
• Create a Major Violations Unit: Establish a new unit within the Fair Political Practices Commission with the authority to investigate and subpoena powerful special interests.
• Strengthen Penalties: Increase consequences for lobbyists and corporations that violate ethics laws, ensuring meaningful accountability.
• Appoint Independent Enforcers: Select judges and regulators with proven records of standing up to corruption and enforcing ethics laws.

The full plan is linked here.

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