Before this month’s arrests of former top state aides, it was a foregone conclusion that at least one or two Democrats would have to drop out of the ongoing run for California governor just to ensure there will be no Republican-on-Republican runoff next November 3.
But the dropouts until now did not figure to include Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and Health secretary in the cabinet of ex-President Joe Biden.
His onetime top aide, Sean McCluskie, is charged with sending fake bills to a dormant Becerra campaign bank account, along with Dana Williamson, a former top assistant to current Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Govs. Jerry Brown and Gray Davis.
Becerra was not implicated in trying to extract funds from his inactive campaign account, which can possibly be used in the future for his political purposes. But his lack of acumen as a judge of the aide’s character might weaken him sufficiently to drive him out of the current race.
It is the latest example of this fall’s epidemic of candidate self-destruction, following early Democratic leader and former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter’s mishandling of a television interview and Republican Steve Hilton’s sending out a press release criticizing Newsom for actions that had earlier been proven sound.
Becerra was tied for third at 8 percent in recent polling on the race, even with Hilton and just three points behind Porter’s 11 percent as the early leader among Democrats.
Newsom could be accused of similar poor judgment of character. His former top aide Dana Williamson was also indicted for falsely billing the inactive Becerra account and for claiming business expense tax writeoffs for an expensive vacation, a private airplane flight and even the purchase of a $10,000 luxury purse.
Newsom, in Brazil for a climate change conference when the arrests came, cautioned against assuming the former top state aides are guilty of anything, even though investigations into them began during the Biden administration.
His office issued a statement saying “The governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity. At a time when the president is openly calling for his attorney general to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law…”
The former aides pleaded not guilty.
Newsom first learned Williamson, then his chief of staff, was under investigation in November of last year, and immediately relieved her of her duties. Newsom is not implicated in any wrongdoing and has not allowed the affair to interfere either with his duties as governor or his nascent 2028 presidential campaign.
Becerra said he has cooperated fully with federal officials in the investigation of former chief of staff McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell. He is also not implicated in any wrongdoing or misuse of the campaign account, which dates from his years as state attorney general.
The entire episode combines with the self-destructive behavior of other candidates to emphasize the instability of today’s run for governor and the early days of the next presidential campaign.
No one knows if any other federal investigations might similarly affect current candidates for governor, including the current poll leader, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Controller Betty Yee, state schools Supt. Tony Thurmond and former state Assembly majority leader Ian Calderon.
If Becerra were to drop out, chances are his largely Latino base of support would fall to Villaraigosa, the only other Hispanic in the race.
That would give Villaraigosa, usually a pragmatist during his two terms as mayor and his time as state Assembly speaker, a major leg up on others left in the race and likely avoid Republicans taking the two leading slots in the state’s non-partisan Top Two primary next June.
But the arrests leave a lot unknown and much to be learned once the former leading state aides head to trial. No one knows for sure right now, but whatever information emerges could also help shape the development of both the gubernatorial and presidential campaigns.
Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.