Changing America’s Most Corrupt Capitol

I ran for the Legislature to restore government of, by, and for the people. Today I am taking the most important step yet, one that I believe can change California politics.

I’ve announced that I’ll be the first 100 percent citizen-backed California Legislator. Specifically, I am declining all contributions from the “Third House.” That’s the term for the Special Interest lobbyists, with offices encircling the Capitol, that account for the vast majority of political funding in California.

The Third House is the Swamp on Steroids. While in Washington lobbyists may have huge influence, in California they literally run the Capitol. That’s why it’s called the Third House: they control the first two houses, the Assembly and Senate.

And they certainly control the Governor. Gavin Newsom’s 2022 reelection account has over $19 million, with primary funding from unions, associations, and major corporations with registered lobbyists. Several of these benefactors were around the table at his French Laundry dinner.

In fact, the lobbyist being feted that night secured an exemption from the lockdowns for Hollywood. The California Teachers Association, to take another example, spent millions electing Newsom, and he’s obediently toed their line on school closures. 

It’s the same for Legislators. The Chair of the Appropriations Committee raised around $1 million this last election, and just about all of it came from Special Interests. Exactly 9 contributions came from actual people; not a single contribution was under $100. This is the author of AB 5, by the way – the most corrupt law in state history.

Every Legislator gets hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Third House. It’s easy money, and all other funding pales in comparison. But if you cross the biggest players, they’ll spend millions against you in your next election. So they always get their way at the Capitol. That’s how Sacramento works – and it’s why our state is crumbling.

But you and I are building a whole new model. In the last report, we had more grassroots citizen donors than all 62 Legislators in the Supermajority combined. This support from thousands of patriotic Californians is revolutionary. It’s the first true counterweight to the power of the Third House. It’s a shield against the onslaught that is coming our way for changing the rules of the game.

If we prove that this new model works, it can transform politics in California. It will show that as warped and corrupt as our Capitol has become, power still resides in the people.

*Join our movement to build a new model of citizen-backed Legislators.

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