Tipsheet

California Governor Candidate Denies Involvement as Associates Face Prison Time in Campaign Fund Scandal

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  April 27, 2026 5:00 PM

Xavier Becerra, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and dark horse candidate in California's gubernatorial race, was pressed over the weekend as several people involved in his campaign are facing prison time for stealing from a dormant campaign fund. 

KCRA News’ Ashley Zavala told Becerra that the sheer amount of money allegedly being stolen would have raised alarm bells on any other campaign. He continued to deny any knowledge, pointing to his role as a cabinet official under former President Joe Biden, which he said required him to distance himself from the fund and rely on trusted aides to manage it.

"A couple of people who are close to you are now facing prison time for it, for stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars in your campaign funds. I just, I know you've said it was a gut punch to see that," Zavala said. "I mean, I just want to confirm on the record here, like you were really, truly misled there."

"Yeah, as I said, gut punch," Beccera replied. "You put your trust in people, but what you also have to remember is as much as you've had a working relationship over the years, as much as you've done things together and succeeded in so many ways, at the end of the day, we're all accountable."

Zavala again pressed him, questioning why no alarm bells were raised when his campaign suddenly began paying significantly more for legal services, the category under which the payments were listed.

"So we were paying for management of a dormant account, making sure that nothing was, no laws were violated. Because I was Secretary of Health and Human Services, a cabinet member, I had to distance myself from anything that looked political or campaign-related. I had ethics rules that were in place that required me to distance myself," Becerra said. "And so I depended on people that I trusted to be able to manage that the right way. We were going to pay for the management. You always pay for someone to oversee, to file the right documents and the rest."

"What happened was after the payments, the way the money was used is where the violation occurred. There was no violation in terms of the payment. That's why I and my campaign were not implicated in the actual activities."

The interview comes as Californians are deciding who they want as their next governor. Becerra, who draws heavily from Governor Newsom’s base, emerged as a leading Democrat following Eric Swalwell’s exit from the race. However, many Californians continue to link him to the Biden-era COVID-19 policies, which have yet to do him any favors.

Republicans still currently lead the race, though it remains unclear whether they will secure enough support to advance to the general election.

Becerra also made headlines during last week’s second gubernatorial debate, where he pledged to protect foreign truck drivers who cannot speak English.