As California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta ponders a run for governor, he faces scrutiny for his ties to folks central to a federal corruption investigation in Oakland and funds to personal attorneys.
Bonta has not been accused of impropriety, however the questions come at an inopportune time for the Democrat, who says he’s reassessing a gubernatorial bid after repeatedly dismissing a run earlier this yr.
Bonta stated the selections by former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla to not search the workplace altered the contours of the race.
“I had two horses within the governor’s race already,” Bonta stated in an interview with The Occasions on Friday. “They determined to not get entangled in the long run. … The race is essentially completely different as we speak, proper?”
Bonta stated he has acquired important encouragement to affix the crowded gubernatorial area and that he expects to decide “undoubtedly sooner somewhat than later.” Political advisors to the 54-year-old Alameda politician have been reaching out to highly effective Democrats throughout the state to gauge his attainable assist.
Traditionally, serving as California legal professional basic has been a launching pad to larger workplace or a prime put up in Washington. Harris, elected to 2 phrases because the state legal professional basic, was later elected to the U.S. Senate after which as vice chairman. Jerry Brown served within the put up earlier than voters elected him for a second go-around as governor in 2010. Earl Warren later turned the chief justice of the Supreme Court docket.
Bonta, the primary Filipino American to function the state’s prime regulation enforcement official, was appointed in March 2021 by Gov. Gavin Newsom after Xavier Becerra resigned to develop into U.S. Well being and Human Companies secretary. Bonta simply received election as legal professional basic in 2022.
Bonta was a deputy metropolis legal professional in San Francisco and vice mayor for the town of Alameda earlier than being elected to the state Meeting in 2012. Throughout his tenure representing the Alameda space, Bonta developed a repute as a progressive keen to push insurance policies to strengthen tenants’ rights and to reform the legal justice system.
In his function because the state’s prime regulation enforcement official, Bonta has aggressively fought President Trump’s insurance policies and actions, submitting 46 lawsuits in opposition to the administration.
Bonta additionally confronted controversy this previous week in what his advisors say they believe is an try to wreck him as he considers a possible run.
“Political hacks perceive it’s really a badge of respect, nearly an endorsement. Clearly others worry him,” stated veteran Democratic strategist Dan Newman, a Bonta advisor.
On Monday, KCRA reported that Bonta had spent practically $500,000 in marketing campaign funds final yr on private legal professionals to characterize him in dealings with federal investigators engaged on a public corruption probe in Oakland.
On Thursday, the web site East Bay Insider reported that as that probe was heating up in spring 2024, Bonta had acquired a letter from an Oakland businessman warning him that he would possibly quickly be topic to blackmail.
The letter author, Mario Juarez, warned Bonta that one other businessman, Andy Duong, possessed “a recording of you in a compromising scenario.”
Duong was later indicted, alongside together with his father David Duong and former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, on federal bribery expenses. All have pleaded not responsible. An legal professional for David Duong this week stated that Juarez, who’s broadly believed to be an informant within the case in opposition to the Duongs and Thao, was not credible. Juarez couldn’t be reached for remark.
Bonta stated his authorized expenditures took place after he started talking with the U.S. Legal professional’s workplace, who approached him as a result of prosecutors thought he could possibly be a sufferer of blackmail or extortion. Bonta stated the outreach got here after he had turned over the letter he had acquired from Juarez to regulation enforcement.
Bonta stated he employed legal professionals to assist him assessment data in his possession that could possibly be useful to federal investigators.
“I needed to get all of them the knowledge that they needed, that they wanted, give it to them as quick as as I might, to help, to assist,” Bonta stated. “Possibly I had a puzzle piece or two that would help them of their investigation.”
He stated he might have made “an audible gasp” when he noticed the authorized invoice, however that it was essential to rapidly flip over all paperwork and communications that could possibly be related to the federal investigation.
“The billing price is excessive or not insignificant at non-public regulation companies,” Bonta stated. “We had been transferring rapidly to be as responsive as attainable, to be as useful as attainable, to help as as a lot as attainable, and that meant a number of attorneys working quite a lot of hours.”
Bonta stated the state’s Truthful Political Practices Fee additionally has alerted him that it acquired a criticism in opposition to him. Bonta and his advisors imagine it’s about the usage of marketing campaign funds to pay the authorized bills and suspect it was filed by the marketing campaign of a present gubernatorial candidate.
“We’re not nervous,” Bonta stated. “That’s politics.”
Requested whether or not these information tales might create obstacles to a possible gubernatorial marketing campaign, Bonta pushed again in opposition to any assertion that he might have “baggage.” He stated he was aiding federal prosecutors with their investigation with the hopes of holding folks accountable.
“That’s what I might anticipate anybody to do, actually somebody who’s dedicated as I’m to public security.,” he stated. “That’s my job, to help, to assist, to offer data, to assist.”
