California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and other high-profile Democratic leaders are facing some tough questions after using a fundraising platform linked to the Democratic Party to collect donations for wildfire relief.
Earlier this week, Newsom took to X (formerly Twitter) to address what he called “misinformation” surrounding the devastating wildfires in Southern California. These fires, which have already claimed at least 25 lives, have also scorched over 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area.
On January 11th, Newsom posted, “A lot of misinformation out there. Just launched a new site to ensure the public has access to fact-based data around the Southern CA wildfires.”
In his message, Newsom worked to set the record straight, insisting that California’s budget cuts and forest management practices were not to blame for the deadly fires. He wrote, “The TRUTH: – CA did NOT cut our firefighting budget. We’ve nearly doubled the size of our firefighting army and built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet. – CA has INCREASED forest management ten-fold since we took office. – California will NOT allow for looting.”
The post included a link to Newsom’s “California Fire Facts Page,” which aims to debunk what he calls “lies” on issues like budget cuts, land management, and even bizarre conspiracy theories, like “secret pedophile tunnels” and “satanic rituals.” But here’s where it gets interesting: this page also included a link for people to donate to the “California Fire Foundation” through ActBlue, a platform that usually raises money for Democratic candidates and progressive causes across the nation.
Now, here’s where the controversy kicks in: while Newsom’s team quickly assured the public that the donations wouldn’t go to his own political PAC, Campaign for Democracy, the use of ActBlue for these donations raised some eyebrows. Newsom’s spokesperson explained that the money would go directly to relief organizations, not to the governor’s campaign. However, the kicker is that donors’ personal info would still be collected by ActBlue.
As recently as November, Newsom was a potential Democratic presidential contender. But with the wildfires still raging and relief efforts under scrutiny, that presidential speculation might have slowed down a bit.
It’s not just Newsom using ActBlue for the fire relief effort. Democratic figures like Sen. Elizabeth Warren have also shared similar fundraising links. Warren’s link directed users to the ActBlue page for donations to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Even the “Pod Save America” podcast joined in on the fundraising action, with a link to their own ActBlue page for the Vote Save America PAC, which supports progressive causes.
Since the fires began, thousands of Los Angeles residents have faced devastating losses, with more than 12,000 structures destroyed and over 60 square miles burned. As communities struggle to cope, Christian relief groups, including the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, have stepped in to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support to those affected by the disaster.
It’s clear that the need for help is urgent. But the debate over how to raise those funds—and who benefits—continues to stir up plenty of discussion. Is it about helping people in need, or is there a political agenda behind the fundraising effort? Time will tell.
