Gavin Newsom’s wife, Jennifer, raking in as much as $300K a year from political mega-donors and nonprofit
The wife of California governor Gavin Newsom runs companies stacked with her husband’s former Democratic aides and confidants — while raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from the state and lobbyists, according to public records.
The Sacramento-based Representation Project, which describes itself as “the leading gender watchdog organization,” pays Siebel Newsom $150,000 a year for a 40-hour work week, according to tax filings.
Its largest independent contractor is Girls Club Entertainment LLC, a for-profit film company which Siebel Newsom also controls.
In 2024, the nonprofit paid Girls Club $150,000 for “writer/producer/director” services, according to that year’s federal filings.
Government watchdogs have blasted the Newsoms for what they describe as conflicts of interest.
“It is no surprise Gavin and Jennifer Newsom have leveraged their business and non-profit endeavors for personal and political gain,” said Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, a non-partisan watchdog group.
“Backed by left-wing megadonors with ties to the governor, the power couple’s ventures have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars, pushing a politicized agenda into public schools, all while personally benefiting the Newsoms.
“Profiting from progressive indoctrination is easy when your husband is the governor — a blatant conflict of interest,” Sutherland added.
Siebel Newsom licenses her documentaries, including 2019’s “The Great American Lie,” about economic inequality, and 2015’s “The Mask You Live In,” which analyzes notions of masculinity, to taxpayer funded schools, according to reports. Included are talking points for teachers, with comments on Newsom’s interviews in the films.
Huge companies such as AT&T, Comcast and PG&E have bankrolled Representation Project’s annual Flip the Script fundraising galas in the past, donating up to $25,000 each, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The companies denied their donations were designed to curry favor with the governor, and the nonprofit then stopped listing its corporate donors on its website.
AT&T has spent more than $2 million lobbying the state on landline phone rules in 2025, and continues its battle against Comcast for market share in California.
Watchdogs are also concerned about the cozy nature between the Newsoms, donors and former staffers.
“These types of connections certainly appear unseemly and raise some serious red flags,” said Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit that exposes conflicts of interest in government.
The Sacramento-based Representation Project, which describes itself as “the leading gender watchdog organization,” pays Siebel Newsom $150,000 a year for a 40-hour work week, according to tax filings.
Its largest independent contractor is Girls Club Entertainment LLC, a for-profit film company which Siebel Newsom also controls.
In 2024, the nonprofit paid Girls Club $150,000 for “writer/producer/director” services, according to that year’s federal filings.
Government watchdogs have blasted the Newsoms for what they describe as conflicts of interest.
“It is no surprise Gavin and Jennifer Newsom have leveraged their business and non-profit endeavors for personal and political gain,” said Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, a non-partisan watchdog group.
“Backed by left-wing megadonors with ties to the governor, the power couple’s ventures have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars, pushing a politicized agenda into public schools, all while personally benefiting the Newsoms.
“Profiting from progressive indoctrination is easy when your husband is the governor — a blatant conflict of interest,” Sutherland added.
Siebel Newsom licenses her documentaries, including 2019’s “The Great American Lie,” about economic inequality, and 2015’s “The Mask You Live In,” which analyzes notions of masculinity, to taxpayer funded schools, according to reports. Included are talking points for teachers, with comments on Newsom’s interviews in the films.
Huge companies such as AT&T, Comcast and PG&E have bankrolled Representation Project’s annual Flip the Script fundraising galas in the past, donating up to $25,000 each, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The companies denied their donations were designed to curry favor with the governor, and the nonprofit then stopped listing its corporate donors on its website.
AT&T has spent more than $2 million lobbying the state on landline phone rules in 2025, and continues its battle against Comcast for market share in California.
Watchdogs are also concerned about the cozy nature between the Newsoms, donors and former staffers.
“These types of connections certainly appear unseemly and raise some serious red flags,” said Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit that exposes conflicts of interest in government.
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