If Gavin Newsom picks Alex Padilla for the U.S. Senate, who owns his $34 million mess?
Gov. Gavin Newsom could make history by tapping Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Sen. Kamala Harris in the United States Senate. The governor could also make quite a mess for himself by picking Padilla, who currently finds himself embroiled in a scandal over a $34 million bill he can’t pay.
Earlier this year, Padilla’s office handed a $35 million state contract to a public affairs firm called SKD Knickerbocker. Under the terms of the contract, SKDK agreed to run a statewide voter education and outreach campaign to encourage Californians to vote in 2020. SKDK apparently did the work, billing the state for $34 million.
Unfortunately, it seems Padilla did not have the authority to spend the money. As a result, State Controller Betty Yee refused to approve the contract and the state’s Department of Finance declined to write a check. Yee’s office says the money in question was supposed to go directly to voter outreach efforts in California’s 58 counties, not get funneled to one PR firm by the secretary of state’s office.
Republican legislators have jumped on the controversy, which was first reported by The Sacramento Bee’s Lara Korte. They blast Padilla’s apparent violation of the law as well as his decision to give all of the money to a Democratic firm. SKDK billed itself as part of “Team Biden” during the 2020 election, leading the Republicans to accuse Padilla of casting a cloud of partisanship over the voter outreach effort.
“Did the taxpayers get $35 million worth of public outreach during the general election?” asked state Sen. Patricia Bates and state Sen. Jim Nielsen, both Republicans. “We believe taxpayers were fleeced.”
Now the election is over and SKDK wants its $34 million. But Controller Yee is standing firm in her decision to decline approval for the apparently illegal contract. Meanwhile, Padilla — rumored to be the frontrunner for Harris’ senate seat —awaits Newsom’s verdict on his senatorial hopes.
Padilla reportedly has a close relationship with the governor. He also has many enthusiastic supporters to boost his candidacy. If Newsom appoints him, Padilla would make history as California’s first Latino in the U.S. Senate. The move would upset those who say Newsom must appoint a Black woman to replace Kamala Harris. Many others, however, would celebrate the long-awaited ascension of a Mexican-American to one of the highest offices in the land.
Padilla, 47, is a son of Mexican immigrants who was raised in Pacoima and later graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He won election to the Los Angeles City Council at the tender age of 26. Two years later, became the council’s president. He then served two terms in the California State Senate before winning the secretary of state position in 2016.
Padilla has dedicated most of his life to politics and public service. That’s what makes his voter outreach contract debacle resemble a Greek tragedy. At a moment when his star was ascending, Padilla’s hubris appears to have clouded his judgment and resulted in a very costly mistake. His qualifications for Harris’ open senate seat are now marred by a $34 million asterisk.
Who gets stuck with Padilla’s bill if Newsom promotes him? The governor must be prepared to answer this question, since Padilla’s SKDK headache will immediately another problem for Newsom to solve.
How will the governor pay Padilla’s bill? Will he stick it to California taxpayers? Hold a bake sale or launch a GoFundMe campaign? Maybe he could ask Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a vocal Padilla supporter, to cut a check from her own considerable fortune.
We jest, but it’s a serious question. Newsom should not pick Padilla without simultaneously explaining how he’ll pick up the tab for Padilla’s $34 million contract mess.
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "If Gavin Newsom picks Alex Padilla for the U.S. Senate, who owns his $34 million mess?."