California Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed to pay a $31,500 ethics fine after state regulators determined that he failed to timely disclose millions of dollars in donations he solicited, including contributions connected to Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts.
According to the enforcement division of the Fair Political Practices Commission, Newsom did not file 36 required behested payment reports on time during 2024 and 2025.
Advertisement
The late disclosures involved more than $5.5 million in payments from corporations, foundations and other donors, the New York Post reported.
The late filings involved donations from several major corporations and charitable organizations, including $1 million from the Chuck Lorre Foundation; $500,000 each from BlackRock, Uber Eats, Lockheed Martin and the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation; $250,000 from Apple; $200,000 from Amazon; and $150,000 each from Verizon and American Express.
Advertisement
According to documents prepared for a Fair Political Practices Commission meeting Thursday, 34 of the donations were directed to the California Fire Foundation after Newsom or members of his staff referred prospective donors to the nonprofit following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025.
The organization provides support to firefighters and wildfire victims across the state.
Advertisement
Newsom has previously been fined for failing to timely disclose millions of dollars in behested payments, making the latest enforcement action his second involving similar reporting violations.
Ethics officials noted that Newsom ultimately disclosed the donations before the Fair Political Practices Commission independently discovered them and said his office cooperated with the investigation.
Regulators also cited the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires as a mitigating factor.
However, commission staff recommended a significant penalty, stating that the matter warranted heightened scrutiny because “the present case is a repeat violation.”
A spokesperson for the governor’s office acknowledged that the filings were submitted late but declined to provide further comment.
In November 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission approved a $10,500 fine against Newsom for failing to timely disclose approximately $14.4 million in behested payments.
California law requires elected officials to report donations of $5,000 or more that they solicit on behalf of charities, government initiatives or other organizations, The Post reported.
According to the commission’s latest filing, several of the governor’s disclosure reports were submitted more than six months after the required deadline.
One example cited by regulators involved a $50,000 donation from Schwab Charitable Funds to the Institute for Local Government that was reported 229 days late, said the outlet.
Under the proposed settlement, Newsom would pay $1,750 for each of the 18 counts pursued by regulators, resulting in a total penalty of $31,500. According to the filing, the maximum fine that could have been imposed in the case was $90,000.
The ethics matter comes as Newsom, along with members of his inner circle, faces separate federal scrutiny.
According to reports, one federal inquiry involves tax matters related to Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife.
Another investigation reportedly stems from the activities of former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return and making false statements.
Federal authorities have not publicly announced any charges against Newsom in connection with those matters, noted The Post.
Not surprisingly, the governor ripped the federal investigation and claimed President Trump was politicizing the Justice Department, even though the initial probes began during the Biden administration.
“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family, friends, and former employees, not because they found a crime, because they’re simply trying to find one,” Newsom said in a pre-recorded statement Monday.
Seibel Newsom also critized the investigation and Trump, claiming the president has “no boundaries.”
Trump has not publicly commented on the investigation, and the Newsoms have not made any remarks about Williamson’s guilty plea.