Some nonprofit groups are questioning the ethics of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of a former political rival. KALW’s Audy McAfee has more.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was appointed as the state's Infrastructure advisor in August 2022 and paid a salary of 380,000 dollars. A large portion of that salary was requested by Governor Newsom through a nonprofit, California Forward.
CalMatters reports the salary was supposed to come from taxpayer money, but instead is backed by corporate donors like SoCalGas and Disney.
Advocates from nonprofit California Common Cause said Newsom’s office exploited a loophole in state disclosure laws. They claimed the loophole undermined the public’s right to transparency and to be able to hold the governor accountable for his actions.
The governor's office did not respond for a statement.
