Democrat Toni Atkins, a former legislative leader, may have violated campaign finance rules, according to a former watchdog.
Toni Atkins paid $22,500 to the Global Policy Leadership Academy, where her longtime spouse, Jennifer LeSar, is the firm’s chief executive officer and its sole shareholder, disclosures reviewed by POLITICO show. | Gregory Bull/APSACRAMENTO, California — A California Democrat vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom may have run afoul of state law by sending thousands of campaign dollars to a company owned by her spouse.
Any money given from campaign funds must be reasonably — and directly — related to a political, legislative or governmental purpose, she said. “This is not the case with the Global Policy Leadership Academy,” Ravel said after reviewing Atkins’ payment. He said that the campaign money Atkins sent to Global Policy Leadership Academy covered seminar expenses for each participant, including transportation, lodging, meals, meeting space and programming costs.
Atkins climbed the political ranks from San Diego City Hall where she served on the council to the most powerful legislative positions in Sacramento — Senate president pro tem and Assembly speaker — positions that not only allowed her to help set the agenda on affordable housing spending but endeared her to many of the state’s most generous contributors.
Bonta, a Democrat and himself a likely gubernatorial candidate, had made high behested payments to the nonprofit where his wife, now-Assemblymember Mia Bonta, was previously the director. Behested payments are money requested, suggested, solicited or made in cooperation with a public official. While Mia Bonta benefited from some of that money, it was not given for her use but on behalf of the nonprofit, Ravel explained.
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