California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been in the news lately as several polls have marked him as a leading contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

However, Newsom also made headlines this week due to a bombshell report alleging that he and his family have used political connections for personal profit. 

Questions over nonprofit run by governor's wife

According to an article published by the New York Post, donations were sent to a non-profit run by Jennifer Siebel Newsom from companies that lobbied her husband.

The Representation Project describes itself as the leading gender watchdog organization, and tax filings show that it pays Siebel Newsom $150,000 per year.

Gavin Newsom’s wife, Jennifer, raking in as much as $300K a year from political mega-donors and nonprofit: Sources https://t.co/0bZ11zSpGv pic.twitter.com/WkWovG2oLL

— New York Post (@nypost) August 27, 2025

Siebel Newsom also controls a for-profit film company called Girls Club Entertainment LLC, which was paid $150,000 by the Representation Project last year for "writer/producer/director" services.

What's more, documentary films made by Siebel Newsom on economic inequality and gender identity have been sold to public schools. They include "The Mask You Live In," a 2015 production that focuses on concepts of masculinity.

Watchdog: "Progressive indoctrination is easy when your husband is the governor"

Caitlin Sutherland serves as executive director of the non-partisan watchdog group Americans for Public Trust, and she characterized the revelations as being a predictable conflict of interest.

"It is no surprise Gavin and Jennifer Newsom have leveraged their business and non-profit endeavors for personal and political gain," Sutherland remarked.

"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," she continued.

"Profiting from progressive indoctrination is easy when your husband is the governor — a blatant conflict of interest," the activist went on to add.

Critic slams "'rules for me, but not for thee" attitude

Michael Chamberlain is the director of another watchdog group called Protect the Public’s Trust, and he offered a similar perspective saying, "These types of connections certainly appear unseemly and raise some serious red flags."

"As was evident during COVID, Governor Newsom seems to enjoy living by the maxim of 'rules for me, but not for thee,'" Chamberlain recalled.

"It wouldn’t be surprising to see a different set of rules applied to the governor and his team than those that everyone else has to live under," he stressed.