As California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta ponders a run for governor, he faces scrutiny for his ties to individuals central to a federal corruption investigation in Oakland and funds to non-public 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 12 months.
Bonta mentioned 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 mentioned in an interview with The Occasions on Friday. “They determined to not get entangled ultimately. … The race is basically completely different as we speak, proper?”
Bonta mentioned he has acquired vital encouragement to hitch the crowded gubernatorial discipline and that he expects to decide “positively sooner reasonably 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 potential help.
Traditionally, serving as California lawyer common has been a launching pad to larger workplace or a high put up in Washington. Harris, elected to 2 phrases because the state lawyer common, was later elected to the U.S. Senate after which as vp. 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 Courtroom.
Bonta, the primary Filipino American to function the state’s high legislation enforcement official, was appointed in March 2021 by Gov. Gavin Newsom after Xavier Becerra resigned to turn into U.S. Well being and Human Providers secretary. Bonta simply gained election as lawyer common in 2022.
Bonta was a deputy metropolis lawyer in San Francisco and vice mayor for town of Alameda earlier than being elected to the state Meeting in 2012. Throughout his tenure representing the Alameda space, Bonta developed a status 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 high legislation 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 think 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 concern him,” mentioned veteran Democratic strategist Dan Newman, a Bonta advisor.
On Monday, KCRA reported that Bonta had spent practically $500,000 in marketing campaign funds final 12 months on private attorneys 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 state of affairs.”
Duong was later indicted, alongside together with his father David Duong and former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, on federal bribery prices. All have pleaded not responsible. An lawyer for David Duong this week mentioned 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 mentioned his authorized expenditures took place after he started talking with the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace, who approached him as a result of prosecutors thought he could possibly be a sufferer of blackmail or extortion. Bonta mentioned the outreach got here after he had turned over the letter he had acquired from Juarez to legislation enforcement.
Bonta mentioned he employed attorneys to assist him evaluate data in his possession that could possibly be useful to federal investigators.
“I needed to get all of them the data that they needed, that they wanted, give it to them as quick as as I might, to help, to assist,” Bonta mentioned. “Possibly I had a puzzle piece or two that would help them of their investigation.”
He mentioned 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 charge is excessive or not insignificant at non-public legislation companies,” Bonta mentioned. “We had been shifting rapidly to be as responsive as potential, to be as useful as potential, to help as as a lot as potential, and that meant a number of attorneys working lots of hours.”
Bonta mentioned the state’s Honest Political Practices Fee additionally has alerted him that it acquired a grievance 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 fearful,” Bonta mentioned. “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 mentioned he was helping federal prosecutors with their investigation with the hopes of holding individuals accountable.
“That’s what I might count on anybody to do, actually somebody who’s dedicated as I’m to public security,” he mentioned. “That’s my job, to help, to help, to supply data, to assist.”
