State Sen. Susan Rubio holds a powerful position in Sacramento. As chair of the Insurance Committee, the Baldwin Park Democrat can help pass or kill any legislation that affects that industry.
Anti-corruption laws prevent Rubio from accepting campaign contributions from insurance lobbyists or other lobbyists as he raises money for his 2026 re-election bid. California law prohibits California lobbyists from donating to the campaigns of state legislators.
However, there are no such restrictions on lobbyists contributing to campaigns for federal office, even if the candidate is a state representative. So when Mr. Rubio runs for Congress this year, he can receive federal campaign contributions from lobbyists trying to influence votes in Sacramento.
And she is.
Mr. Rubio received nearly $43,300 in contributions from registered state lobbyists in his campaign to replace retiring Rep. Grace F. Napolitano in California's 31st Congressional District. That's a fraction of the total money she's raised as of Feb. 14, but it's the most lobbyist money of any California lawmaker running for Congress. Many of those who donated to Rubio's congressional campaigns will be heard before committees she sits on as a state representative, including the Insurance Committee and the committees that oversee policy on health care, alcohol control, energy and public works. He represents a company lobbying for the bill.
Eight state representatives are running for Congress this year. Six individuals received donations from lobbyists in varying amounts, totaling $96,090.
Donations are legal and make up a small portion of a candidate's overall fundraising. Still, some watchdog groups say lobbyist money should be banned because it risks influencing decisions by state lawmakers.
“It doesn't mean they're going to vote in their favor, but it could happen,” said Sean McMorris, program manager at government watchdog group Common Cause.
His organization was part of the coalition that introduced the California Political Reform Act 50 years ago, which banned lobbyists from making donations to state legislators.
Bob Stern, a co-author of the law, said the state ban was put in place because “legislators receive large sums of money from lobbying people, and they have no control over lobbying and campaigning.” “I thought the donations should be separated,” he said.
In practice, Stern said, the ban's impact was limited because companies that employ lobbyists and affiliated political action committees can provide contributions directly to candidates. But there was “symbolism” in the farewell, he said.
Rubio's campaign manager, Giovanni Ruiz, said all donations she receives from individuals are “based solely on mutually respectful relationships” and that issues on which donors have lobbied in the past have not been addressed. He said he was against it.
Mr. Ruiz also pointed out that Mr. Rubio has been funneled large sums of money by his opponent, Jill Cisneros, who has poured $4 million of his own money into his campaign.
Silicon Valley Congressional candidate Rep. Evan Roe (D-Campbell) received $21,650 from lobbyists, accounting for 2% of his fundraising.he Participated in a late race He will replace retiring U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo in early December, just months before the March primary election.
State Sen. Dave Ming (D-Irvine), who is running to replace Rep. Katie Porter in the Orange County seat, has received about $16,500 in contributions from lobbyists since the start of his campaign. This corresponds to 1% of the total donations. at the beginning of 2023.
Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), who is vying to replace Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles), received $4,000, and rival state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) received $6,500 from lobbyists. received the dollar. These totals each account for less than 1% of his fundraising.
Portantino and Friedman both were running He held a seat on the Los Angeles Assembly for more than a year.
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), a candidate for the Central Valley House seat, received about $4,000 from a lobbyist. This amount accounted for 6.1% of the funds she has raised since her inauguration. started her campaign In August 2023.
Hurtado told the Times that lawmakers should be able to accept such donations, but acknowledged that “money has the power to corrupt people, plain and simple.”
Since August, Hurtado has raised less than $100,000. She said she is in debt because she spent her own money on the race. The only money she doesn't accept is from the cannabis industry, she told the Times.
Friedman went further, saying he was aware of the potential problems and would support legislation that would prohibit federal campaigns from receiving funds from state lobbyists.
Friedman noted that her campaign has rejected all funding from corporate PACs, and said that's a much more salient issue for people like her. She characterized the lobbyist contributions she and her colleagues received as paltry compared to the “avalanche of money” from lobbyists' clients.
Mr. Portantino, Mr. Low and Mr. Ming did not respond to requests for comment.
Two state legislators running for Congress have not received any donations from lobbyists: Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) is also running for the San Gabriel Valley seat of Napolitano and has begun campaigning. are doing last summer, Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) is running for the Bakersfield seat vacated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Fong launched his campaign in December.
State-required disclosures are limited, so lobbyists are not required to publicly report which legislators they try to influence on various bills, drawing a direct line between lobbying and donations. It has become difficult. But campaign finance and lobbying records show that several of the candidates, based on their committee positions, are lobbyists who work with companies seeking to influence policy in areas in which they have power. received donations from.
Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) is one of several state representatives running for Congress.
(Robert Gorey/Los Angeles Times)
Mandy Lee, a lobbyist in Sacramento, gave Rubio the maximum contribution of $3,300. Her firm represents the American Property Casualty Insurance Assn., a major industry group for home, auto and commercial insurance companies. The association lobbied for the bill before the Senate Insurance Committee, which Rubio chairs. Mr. Lee also donated $500 to Mr. Min.
A spokesperson for Mr. Rubio noted that the relationship between the senator and Mr. Lee began long before she was elected to Congress.
Mr. Rubio also received $2,000 from lobbyist Paul Gradfelty, who represents a travel insurance company.
“It is not unusual for state lobbyists to make personal contributions to congressional candidates that we know and believe in, and is allowed by state law. Gradfelty said in a text message that her friendship with Rubio “exists regardless of her committee assignments.”
Lobbyists Soila Fernandez and Kirk Kimmelshew, owners of Fernandez Jensen Kimmelshew Government Affairs, both donated to Minn and Rubio's campaigns. The company's client list includes regional water agencies and the Northern California Water Association, both of which were working on the bill before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, chaired by Minn.
Their firm also represents Southern California Edison, which regularly works on bills before the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, on which Min and Rubio serve. Anheuser-Busch Brewery is lobbying the alcohol regulatory commission, of which Mr. Rubio is a member. and the American Pharmaceutical Research Association, which is lobbying the health committee on which Rubio serves.
RJ Cervantes, a lobbyist whose clients include trade associations for cryptocurrencies and electronic payment companies, co-chairs the Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus, a group of legislators who want to promote a tech-friendly climate in California. He donated $3,300 to Mr. Lowe. .
Mr. Cervantes, Mr. Kimmelshew, Mr. Fernandez and Mr. Lee did not respond to requests for comment.
Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School and former chair of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, said she doesn't see the situation as clear-cut as for Common Cause's McMorris. She said she doesn't think it's unethical for state lawmakers to accept lobbyist contributions to their congressional campaigns because there is “very real room” in the law to allow lobbyist contributions. Stated.
“It's up to voters to decide whether they care about this or not,” Levinson said. “My guess is that for most voters, that's pretty far down the list.”
