‘They’re going to hate this’: Billionaire Tom Steyer jumps into crowded governor’s race

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/hannah-wiley/">Hannah Wiley</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-19T14:00:00.000Z">Published Nov. 19, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Billionaire climate activist and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer announced Wednesday that he is running for California governor, becoming the most prominent San Franciscan to join the crowded 2026 field. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a video announcing his campaign, Steyer, 68, a <a href="https://time.com/6980235/tom-steyer-climate-activism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">climate activist<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> who earned his fortune as the founder of Farallon Capital and his fame as an advocate for President Donald Trump’s impeachment, focused on California’s affordability crisis and pledged to solve the problems he attributes to rising costs, including the housing shortage and corporations not paying their “fair share.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The richest people in America think that they earned everything themselves. Bullshit, man,” Steyer said in the video. “That’s so ridiculous.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A liberal Democrat who last ventured into politics with a <u><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/29/801952931/tom-steyer-to-drop-out-of-2020-presidential-race" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2020 bid for president<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, Steyer was long expected to join the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out of office next year. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The field includes high-profile Democrats such as former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as well as Republicans <u><a data-post-id="ce1e6ef5-3a20-4102-a0c1-575c72beedbc" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/16/steve-hilton-california-governor-doge-elon-musk/">Steve Hilton</a></u>, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. </p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Current candidates were quick to criticize Steyer, with contenders from both parties focusing on his wealth. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Porter, who is considered a frontrunner in the race, noted that Steyer was promising to crack down on industries that she claims made him money. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“A new billionaire in our race claims he’ll fight the very industries he got rich helping grow — fossil fuel companies, tobacco, and private immigration detention facilities — at great cost to Californians,” Porter wrote in a <a href="https://x.com/katieporteroc/status/1991233723296014742" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media post<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. “I call bullshit.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The last thing California needs is a billionaire ‘climate’ fanatic who wants more of the same ‘climate’ elitism that gave us the highest gas prices, electric bills, and housing costs in America,” Hilton said in a statement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer’s deep pockets make him an easy target, but they’re also what could render him a formidable candidate. He’ll have endless cash to prop up his campaign and finance the advertising necessary to increase his name ID in large swaths of the state that might be unfamiliar with his activism. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer over the last 15 years has championed several California ballot measure campaigns that took aim at oil companies, big corporations, and the tobacco industry. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I wanted to build a business here. Now it’s worth billions of dollars. And I walked away from it because I wanted to give back to California,” he said in his announcement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He most recently dumped <u><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-10-09/billionaire-tom-steyer-12-million-support-november-redistricting-ballot-measure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$12 million<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> into the effort to pass Newsom’s redistricting measure Proposition 50 in the Nov. 4 special election. His efforts rankled some within his party, who saw the spending as a self-serving <u><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/tom-steyer-infuriating-democrats-again-00612185" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">attention grab<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in preparation for a likely campaign announcement.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer said his goals are to make it easier to live in the Golden State, and he promised to drive a housing boom and lower electricity costs by breaking up the “monopolistic power of utilities,” while bolstering the state’s education system. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Let’s get down to brass tacks,” he said. “Californians deserve a life they can afford. But the Californians who make this state run are being run over by the cost of living. We need to get back to basics.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">As someone with a history of disrupting the Democratic status quo, Steyer said he would take on Sacramento politicians who are “afraid to change up the system.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I’m not,” he said. “They’re going to hate this.”</p></div></div>

No dealers convicted: Watch the video of SFPD’s high-profile, low-impact drug raid

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/jonah-owen-lamb/">Jonah Owen Lamb</a></span><span>Additional reporting by <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/david-sjostedt/">David Sjostedt</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-12T23:07:26.813Z">Published Nov. 12, 2025 • 3:07pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">When San Francisco <u><a data-post-id="d87262b7-869f-4b10-ad81-fd03583e57b1" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/27/jefferson-square-park-raid-san-francisco-police-drugs-arrests/">police and sheriff’s deputies raided Jefferson Square Park</a></u> in February, detaining 86 people, officials touted it as a show of force illustrating newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie’s tough approach toward open drug dealing and use.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">However, when the smoke settled, no one was convicted of a serious crime. The only man charged with dealing narcotics was acquitted. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Newly released footage of the sweep appears to show officers using questionable tactics to round up people lingering on side streets.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The three-minute video from an officer-worn body camera on the night of Feb. 26, released by the San Francisco public defender, shows cops on foot commanding people in the area to walk to the park, without providing an explanation. Some try feebly to refuse police orders; others are more vigorous in their efforts to avoid detention. Few make it past the lines of police. </p></div><figure class="relative m-[0_0_1em] w-full"><video class="w-full" controls="" playsinline="" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/asset/994911177489/video_acegk7rd813916adue60k7fv1i/?content-disposition=inline"></video><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">SFPD officers round up people at Jefferson Park.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Courtesy Public Defenders Office</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Nope. No one’s going. Stop. Hands out of your pocket,” an officer says to a group on a sidewalk, pushing some of them. “Let’s go. Walk your way back to the park.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A man on a scooter is forced to head back to the park after trying to pass the police blockade, the video shows. At the park, the suspects are lined up, and many are zip-tied. </p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">As officers encircle a group of people sitting on the sidewalk, one yells at a woman, “Grab your shit, let’s go.” He then tells a man, “Stand the fuck up. You ain’t running things around here.” When the man protests, the officer tells him: “No one cares.” </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The raid employed significant city resources, including drones, motorbikes, a jail bus, and floodlights. Of the 86 people detained, 29 were booked into jail — most on charges of loitering. The man who was arrested for dealing was acquitted last week, according to the public defender’s office.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“What became clear through police body-worn camera footage is that raids like these — where officers are pushing people, cursing at them, and rounding them up like cattle — are dehumanizing and ineffective,” Public Defender Mano Raju said in a statement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><u><a href="https://law.stanford.edu/robert-weisberg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Weisberg, a Stanford Law School professor<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, said officers are required to meet certain standards to make arrests. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“To have probable cause, either the police need to have an arrest warrant in hand or they need to be observing something on the street that establishes probable cause,” he said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The San Francisco Police Department in February released a <u><a href="https://vimeo.com/1061031091?share=copy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">highlight reel<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> from the operation and said such tactics would be deployed anywhere in the city plagued by similar issues.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Charles Lutvak, a spokesman for Lurie, called the raid a success because it sent a message to drug users and dealers. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“We will bring this strategy anywhere in the city to send the message loud and clear: San Franciscans deserve safe, clean streets, and that’s what they are going to get in every neighborhood under this administration,” Lutvak said in a statement after the raid.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><br/></p></div></div>

Can ‘the Donald Trump of the Democrats’ bully and buy his way to  governor?

SF politicos threatened federal agents with arrest. Cops call it fake news

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/jonah-owen-lamb/">Jonah Owen Lamb</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-03T14:00:00.000Z">Published Nov. 03, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Two of San Francisco’s most prominent politicians — former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins — have threatened the arrest of federal agents who violate local or state law as part of the Trump administration’s immigration raids.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The issue has become more salient amid the threat of a Bay Area enforcement “surge.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">However, San Francisco cops say the tough talk from elected officials is largely political theater. Five current and former officers who spoke under the condition of anonymity said arresting federal agents would be nearly impossible and would happen only under direct orders from top brass.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Absolutely not,” one SPFD officer said of arresting federal immigration agents, adding that he wouldn’t do it “unless specially ordered by the chief of police. But we both know very well that isn’t happening.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Another officer put it more colorfully: “If they want to get into a dick measuring contest with the federal government, it’s gonna get ugly. The DA can do whatever she wants, but feds have more power than us.”</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A former federal law enforcement official agreed that the Democratic politicians are mainly grandstanding. “If they send troops in, I think they’d probably posture as not cooperating, but in reality they know they have to talk to each other,” he said. “No one wants blue-on-blue issues.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The rhetoric has dredged up memories of Jenkins’ decision to dismiss several high-profile cases against SFPD officers that her predecessor, recalled DA Chesa Boudin, filed for politically motivated reasons, she claimed. To some cops, her threat to arrest Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reads as hypocrisy.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“You dismissed all that, but now you say you’ll hammer ICE agents?” said a former SFPD command staff officer.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><b>When cops are arrested</b></p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Pelosi first floated the idea of arresting federal agents who violate state law<u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/us/politics/nancy-pelosi-ice-agent-arrest.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> on Oct. 22<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>. Jenkins quickly followed suit, citing incidents in which officers assaulted protesters in Chicago and Los Angeles. <u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/us/federal-ice-agents-arrests-california-pelosi.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">U.S. officials swiftly shot back<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, saying the arrest of federal law enforcement officers on state charges is illegal, and state and local officials may themselves become subject to prosecution. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="" class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="4000" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_rj6fe70k5p4lf0t3nki0d83q2s/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 6000 4000'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="6000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">A federal agent walks past portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Ted Weiss Federal Building in New York City.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Other local leaders across the country have made similar threats — including the Illinois governor, who <u><a href="http://https/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recently suggested<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> prosecuting federal law enforcement officers — but no jurisdiction has followed through.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">None of the four current or former SFPD officers The Standard interviewed said they would arrest a federal agent without a direct order from leaders. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It would have to come from the top,” said one former officer, adding that if such an arrest were to happen, “it would have to be a blatant criminal act.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">An SFPD officer this year was arrested and charged in connection to a DUI crash; additionally, the sheriff’s chief of staff was arrested and charged with hit-and-run and lying on a police report. But both cases were routine compared with the political combat that might ensue if local officials were to order the arrest of federal officers. </p><div class="article-body align-left"><figure class="pullquote-block"><blockquote><p>‘We are dealing with law enforcement people. They have guns. We don’t just go kick the door down.’</p><cite>Former SFPD officer</cite></blockquote></figure></div><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In such an event, officers would not likely be arrested at the scene of any crime. Rather, the process for arresting and bringing charges would likely entail making contact with the officers’ lawyers, who would schedule a time for their clients to turn themselves in, far from the glare of cameras. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“We are dealing with law enforcement people. They have guns. We don’t just go kick the door down,” said a former SFPD command staff member. “There has to be a lot of back-door concessions and conversations.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><b>Dismissed cop cases</b></p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jenkins hasn’t always been so aggressive when it comes to prosecuting members of law enforcement.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In 2023, she <u><a data-post-id="ed4881de-4836-412a-b816-d8e61fdb5903" href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/24/brooke-jenkins-threw-investigator-under-bus-cop-shooting-case/">dismissed a landmark case</a></u> filed by Boudin against Christopher Samayoa, an SFPD officer who shot and killed carjacking suspect Keita O’Neil during a 2017 chase in the Bayview. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jenkins said Boudin had filed the case for political reasons, which he denied, lobbing the same accusation against her. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Jenkins will not hold everyone equally accountable under the law,” Boudin told The Standard at the time. “She is deeply politically motivated, and she does not care about victims of police violence.”</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="Two police officers in uniform stand outside, one smiling and the other focused on their phone, while a person in the foreground also looks at a phone." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="4502" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S3840x2562-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S1920x1281-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S2048x1366-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_cgmrs9eelh4et66qotgmt2l85l/-S3840x2562-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 6749 4502'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="6749"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">SFPD officers outside the Dreamforce conference Oct. 14.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Two DA investigators — Jeffrey Pailet and Daniel Lundberg — objected to prosecuting Samayoa, saying the evidence was weak. Jenkins said she <u><a data-post-id="ed4881de-4836-412a-b816-d8e61fdb5903" href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/24/brooke-jenkins-threw-investigator-under-bus-cop-shooting-case/">dismissed the case because </a></u>the DA investigator who signed the arrest warrant did so under pressure from Boudin. That investigator, Lt. Jack Friedman, <u><a data-post-id="75f69470-f7e4-4831-8aa7-d3ce302e1296" href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/03/07/new-details-raise-questions-about-why-da-dropped-case-against-sf-cop/">denied that he was pressured</a></u>, saying he was used as a scapegoat by Jenkins in her feud against Boudin. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jenkins ultimately <u><a data-post-id="dccf3a4c-bf6c-4690-8735-11dbcc0e8dd2" href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/05/11/da-jenkins-moves-to-dismiss-another-police-shooting-case-charged-by-chesa-boudin/">dismissed three high-profile use-of-force cases</a></u> against SFPD officers, citing her concern over politically motivated prosecution.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">SFPD and DA officials did not respond to a request for comment. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Now, as local officials weigh how far they’re willing to go to oppose Trump’s immigration enforcement plans, Jenkins’ tough talk toward federal agents has rolled eyes. <br/><br/>“Ironic, right?” said John Alden, who led police prosecutions for former DA George Gascón. “Given that the Constitution prevents her from policing federal agents, maybe she should turn her attention to policing local police and sheriffs who break the law.”</p></div></div>

‘It terrorizes our communities’: Lurie slams feds over planned Bay Area immigration raids

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-22T21:55:39.720Z">Published Oct. 22, 2025 • 2:55pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">For months, Mayor Daniel Lurie has avoided any verbal confrontation with President Donald Trump.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">That changed on Wednesday after news broke of an <a data-post-id="0e2e5ade-b72a-44ca-b7ec-dcbecc1dcb83" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/22/customs-border-protection-alameda-coast-guard/">impending federal immigration operation in the Bay Area</a>, pushing Lurie to make his most forceful remarks about federal government overreach since taking office in January.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“This doesn’t make our city safer, it terrorizes our communities,” said Lurie, who was flanked by a wide array of local officials during a livestreamed speech just after 2 p.m.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lurie said his administration has been planning for the possibility of federal intervention for months, and that he has signed an executive directive that “will make sure that our communities get the resources and the accurate information they need from our local government and our partners like the <a data-post-id="d84c2cda-f637-40e5-9822-654d78d49977" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/05/ice-rapid-response-network-san-francisco/">Rapid Response Network</a>,” referring to the local community group that monitors immigration enforcement.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The city has also activated its Department of Emergency Management to coordinate across departments, including the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“This federal administration wants to divide us, but we know San Francisco is strongest when we come together to stand up for each other and our values,” Lurie said. “San Francisco will never stand by as our neighbors are targeted, and neither will I. I’ve got your back. Let’s have each other’s back and keep our city safe.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Still, Lurie refrained from directly saying the president’s name, a similar tactic he’s followed during public remarks about immigration and other federal issues.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lurie’s announcement comes as the U.S. Coast Guard <a data-post-id="0e2e5ade-b72a-44ca-b7ec-dcbecc1dcb83" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/22/customs-border-protection-alameda-coast-guard/">confirmed Wednesday</a> that an “unknown” number of Customs and Border Protection agents will arrive on Coast Guard Island in the Oakland Estuary on Thursday. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">How or when the agents would arrive in San Francisco wasn't immediately apparent. Lurie said that his administration is in the dark about what exactly the federal government is planning in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But he positioned the surge of federal border agents as the first step in a potential deployment of military forces.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“In cities across the country, masked immigration officials are deployed to use aggressive enforcement tactics to instill fear so people don’t feel safe to go about their daily lives,” Lurie said. “These tactics are designed to incite backlash, chaos and violence, which are then used as an excuse to deploy military personnel. They are intentionally creating a dangerous situation in the name of public safety.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Local and state officials have already said they will challenge any federal intervention against San Francisco and California. On Tuesday, City Attorney David Chiu said he would sue if the president <a data-post-id="a8234e3b-4cfe-40e7-ae23-6391f1feb92a" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/21/san-francisco-city-attorney-sue-trump-national-guard/">sent the National Guard into the city</a>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Among the officials standing alongside Lurie on Wednesday were  Chiu, San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Derrick Lew, Fire Chief Dean Crispen, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and Supervisors Bilal Mahmood, Connie Chan, Rafael Mandelman, and Stephen Sherrill. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">During his remarks, Lurie mentioned the progress his administration has made on issues like homelessness and crime in what appeared to be an attempt to counter negative comments that the president has made about Democratic-run cities like San Francisco and Chicago. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“From our police chief and our sheriff to our district attorney and our Board of Supervisors, our city leaders have been united in making public safety our No. 1 priority, and we’ve made real progress,” said Lurie, who cited statistics about falling crime and reduced homeless encampments. </p></div></div>

Sheriff’s ex-chief of staff dodges trial after hit-and-run cover-up

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/jonah-owen-lamb/">Jonah Owen Lamb</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-21T22:25:21.686Z">Published Oct. 21, 2025 • 3:25pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto’s former chief of staff was allowed to avoid an embarrassingly public criminal trial for fleeing a <u><a data-post-id="1cacfca8-ea47-4b80-b168-b026198fbfb9" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/06/22/sf-sheriff-hit-and-run-arrest/">hit-and-run</a></u> and lying about it.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Richard Jue was ordered to pay more than $15,000 to the department and a still undetermined amount to the owner of the Tesla vehicle he hit. He will also take part in a diversion program consisting of 40 hours of community service and a driver safety course. Jue quietly retired from the Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 13, three days after a judge granted his diversion.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The district attorney’s office said it opposed a dismissal of charges, as well as Jue’s diversion program. If he completes the program, his charges will be dismissed. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The case involving a former top aide to Miyamoto comes at a time of increased scrutiny for the San Francisco sheriff, who was originally elected in 2019. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In just the past year, Miyamoto controversially endorsed a <u><a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/12050648/were-both-sheriffs-sfs-miyamoto-endorses-maga-republican-for-ca-governor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MAGA candidate for governor<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, his brother-in-law was accused of <u><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/sheriff-brother-in-law-weed-county-jail-21090798.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing weed<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in the county jail, and a <u><a href="https://missionlocal.org/2025/10/sf-sheriff-deputy-fired-sexual-misconduct-trans-inmate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deputy was fired<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> for alleged sexual misconduct.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jue, 65, was off-duty on March 4 when he crashed a Sheriff’s Office vehicle into a parked Tesla on Diamond Heights Boulevard, “causing serious damages to both vehicles,” according to the district attorney’s office.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jue fled the scene and failed to report the crash for two weeks. The Tesla was totaled, prosecutors said.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="Sheriff Paul Miyamoto speaks outside San Francisco City Hall during a press conference on Dec. 7, 2021. | Camille Cohen/The Standard" class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1130" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_bno6tagsp12lncgmbjcngop646/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1695 1130'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="1695"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Sheriff Paul Miyamoto<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Camille Cohen/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“When he reported it, he claimed that he had been the victim of an unknown hit-and-run in a parking lot,” the DA said. “The next day, he allegedly made another report, apologizing and stating he in fact had caused the accident and left the scene without leaving a note.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jue’s attorney Bill Fazio said his client initially filed a report saying his car was hit while it was parked because of embarrassment. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Fazio said that his client’s new diabetes medication negatively impacted his digestive system, which prevented him from remaining at the scene. Eventually, Jue admitted that he had hit another car and driven away, said Fazio.  <br/><br/>Fazio said Jue previously planned to retire before the incident.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jue was charged with two misdemeanors in June: hit-and-run with property damage and filing a false police report. If convicted, Jue could have faced up to six months in jail for each count.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">His lawyers filed a motion for diversion, which was granted on Sept. 10. The charges are suspended, but could be pursued again if Jue fails to abide by the deal. <br/><br/>Jue, who must return to court on Dec. 10 to provide an update on his progress, did not respond to a request for comment. <br/><br/>The Public Defenders Office encouraged the DA to offer more defendants diversion to help them avoid future run-ins with the law. <br/><br/>“We urge the District Attorney’s Office to extend the same opportunity to more of our vulnerable, indigent clients who are not law enforcement officers who should already know better,” said Deputy Public Defender Andrea Lindsay.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jue served with the San Francisco Police Department as an officer for three decades before becoming Miyamoto’s chief of staff in 2020. Jue was initially put on leave pending the criminal case and an administrative probe. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said they could not comment on the case, as it remains open. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><br/></p></div></div>

San Mateo supervisors unanimously boot scandal-plagued Sheriff Christina Corpus

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/kevin-truong/">Kevin Truong</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-14T19:54:25.784Z">Published Oct. 14, 2025 • 12:54pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A meeting of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is not typically the hottest ticket in town. Still, Tuesday morning’s special session drew a crowd eager to witness the ousting of Sheriff Christina Corpus firsthand.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The board voted 5-0 to remove the first-term sheriff from office,  marking the end of a scandal-fueled, mudslinging ordeal that turned the typically staid county into tabloid fodder.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Corpus was elected sheriff in 2022 on a platform of reforming the department’s culture and directly criticizing her predecessor for turning detainees over to federal immigration officials.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But after her victory three years ago — which unseated an incumbent with his own penchant for drama — her tenure has largely been a drip-drip of scandals that grew into a flood of negative headlines, investigative reports, and no-confidence votes.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">An incomplete list of the scandals involving Corpus includes:</p></div><ul class="list-block ListBlock_List__NF3JL article-body"><li>Accusations of nepotism, including elevating her alleged lover, Victor Aenlle, to chief of staff, then rehiring him in a reserve position after he was fired by the Board of Supervisors.</li></ul><ul class="list-block ListBlock_List__NF3JL article-body"><li>The arrest of the Sheriff’s Deputies Association president, Carlos Tapia, on timecard fraud charges that were later dropped. Tapia has since filed suit against the county, claiming the arrest was retaliatory.</li></ul><ul class="list-block ListBlock_List__NF3JL article-body"><li>The alleged use of homophobic and racist slurs in reference to political opponents.</li></ul><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Through it all, Corpus refused to resign. She and her supporters have characterized the campaign against her as retaliation for her efforts to dismantle the department’s “good ol’ boys club” culture and curb excessive overtime spending. She sued the county for $10 million in January, claiming she was the victim of discrimination as a Latinx woman.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Her refusal to step down has come despite a growing chorus of opposition to her leadership of the sheriff’s office.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The cities of San Carlos and Millbrae, the deputies union, and even her command staff have approved no-confidence votes and called for her resignation.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But perhaps the most decisive no-confidence vote came from the public itself. In March, San Mateo County voters approved Proposition A, granting the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove a sitting sheriff. The measure passed with 84% of the vote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">On Tuesday, the board exercised that power, making Corpus the first sheriff to be removed from office in the county’s history. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dozens of residents spoke during the public comment period, with the majority urging Corpus’s removal.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a final display of defiance — or delusion — Corpus spoke passionately in her own defense for what was basically a foregone conclusion. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“You may remove me from office, but you will not erase the truth,” Corpus said at the meeting. “I may lose my title, but I will never, ever lose my purpose.”</p></div></div>

WTF is going on with South Lake Tahoe’s politicians?

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/garrett-leahy/">Garrett Leahy</a></span><span>Additional reporting by <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/george-kelly/">George Kelly</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-07T17:36:00.491Z">Updated Oct. 07, 2025 • 10:36am</time><time datetime="2025-10-07T15:55:58.736Z">Published Oct. 07, 2025 • 8:55am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lake Tahoe is known for its clear, sapphire waters, but the landscape is dark and murky in the halls of power on the alpine oasis’ south side.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">South Lake Tahoe this week got hit with a one-two punch of revelations and scandal. Mayor Tamara Wallace admitted to, and is being criminally investigated for, embezzling funds from a local church. In a stunning letter she published Sunday, Wallace also divulged that she had attempted suicide on Sept. 11, her birthday.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The day after Wallace exposed her pain and transgressions, news broke that Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass had been arrested after allegedly assaulting a restaurant employee.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It’s unclear what happens next for the lakeside community’s elected officials. Wallace and Bass retain their seats and plan to attend the Oct. 21 City Council meeting, according to city spokesperson Sheree Juarez. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wallace unburdened herself in a letter that was published in the <a href="https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/mayor-tamara-wallace-confessions-wrongdoings-challenges-in-tell-all-letter-to-south-lake-tahoe-community/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tahoe Daily Tribune<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> and <a href="https://southtahoenow.com/10/05/2025/mayor-tamara-wallace-unveils-all-to-the-south-lake-tahoe-community" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">South Tahoe Now<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. It’s unclear how much money she pilfered from a Presbyterian church, but she said it had been undetected. The scheme had no impact on city coffers, she claimed.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But guilt drove her to try to end her life, she wrote. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution,” she wrote. “It was only by the grace of God that I failed.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since then, she has spent 18 days in a mental health facility and is taking medication and enrolled in “intense, all-day, every-day group and individual counseling sessions.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wallace’s letter pointed to past trauma, including childhood abuse, the death of her son Christopher from fentanyl poisoning, and death threats while working as a city councilmember.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“These things may be reasons, but not an excuse for my behavior,” Wallace wrote.</p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Rather than be like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path,” the letter said. “I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The funds she allegedly embezzled have not damaged the city financially, and the matter is being investigated by the El Dorado County district attorney’s office, Juarez said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Then there’s the ordeal of Bass.  The pro tem mayor was arrested Sept. 26 around 1 a.m. at a bar and restaurant in Stateline, Nevada, on misdemeanor charges of assault, trespassing, and threats/harassment, according to a statement Monday from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and DA. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Deputies were summoned to Aleworx around midnight after Bass got into a confrontation with an employee, <a href="https://mynews4.com/news/local/south-lake-tahoe-mayor-pro-tem-arrested-on-assault-charges-in-bar-incident" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to KRNV<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> in Reno. Bass complained that he had been kicked and threatened that he “was going to have people kill” the employee of the establishment, from which he had previously been banned, KRNV reported. Video of the incident, however, led deputies to conclude Bass was the aggressor, the TV station reported.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He was booked into the county jail and released a few hours later, according to the <a href="https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/district-attorney-formally-charges-bass/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tahoe Daily Tribune<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson filed misdemeanor trespassing and harassment charges, the statement said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wallace declined to comment. Bass did not respond to a request for comment. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The incidents were a surprise to all of us and the news is still sinking in,” said South Lake Tahoe City Council Member David Jinkins in an email. “City government continues to operate under professional management and all services remain intact and unaffected by recent events.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The city said it is “aware” of the criminal investigation against the Wallace and the arrest of Bass. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since both city leaders remain in office, the Oct. 21 council meeting could be … interesting. If the city keeps to its usual procedure, a livestream of the meeting will be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@cityofsouthlaketahoeYT/streams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on YouTube<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><i>If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text “988" any time, day or night, to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or </i><u><i><a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chat online<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></i></u><i><a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">.<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></i></p></div></div>

Making ‘liberals’ heads explode’: Explaining the California GOP’s Trump 2028 obsession

Gavin got gifted a gun. Getting it home to California will be tricky


<p>In his six years as governor, Gavin Newsom has signed some of the nation’s <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/priorities-and-progress/priorities/public-safety/">strongest gun control</a> laws.</p>



<p>It was a surprise to some, then, when Newsom accepted a Sig Sauer P365-Xmacro pistol from the conservative podcast host Shawn Ryan while the two recorded a four-hour <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BBq3Q_fHSU">episode</a> last week in Tennessee. </p>



<p>“Everybody gets a gift,” Ryan said, before presenting the governor with the gun.</p>



<p>“Brother, this is fabulous,” Newsom responded. “The last thing people would expect is that I respect this gift.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Really?” Ryan asked.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Yeah, man. I’m not anti-gun at all,” Newsom said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The gun, which is legal to own in California, will be the first firearm registered in Newsom’s name, his spokesperson Izzy Gardon confirmed. The pistol typically retails for around $700; state ethics rules <a href="https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/public-officials-and-employees-rules-/gifts-and-honoraria.html">limit the value of gifts</a> politicians can accept at $630. Gardon said Newsom will pay Ryan the difference.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But transporting the gun from Tennessee back to California is a logistically — and politically — tricky process, and one that gun rights advocates say will show the governor firsthand how difficult it has become to own firearms in the Golden State.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“King Newsom is going to have to go through everything that all of the subjects of California, the plebeians, have to go through,” Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said in an interview.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here’s the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/cfl2021.pdf">checklist</a> that Newsom would generally have to follow to receive the gun:&nbsp;</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ryan would have to bring the pistol to a licensed dealer in Tennessee to be transported to an authorized dealer in California.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Once the gun arrives, Newsom would have to fill out forms, including a <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/pubfaqs">Dealer Record of Sale</a> document, for the dealer to submit to the California Department of Justice.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Newsom would have to wait 10 days before he could receive the gun. During that time, the DOJ would run a background check to ensure he is not banned from possessing firearms. (California <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/prohibcatmisd.pdf">generally bars</a> former felons from owning guns, as well as those convicted of certain domestic violence crimes and those subject to restraining and other protective orders.)&nbsp;</li>



<li>The governor would have to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate, which requires a 75% score on a written test “pertaining to firearm laws and safety requirements” administered by a certified instructor from the DOJ. State law additionally requires a gun owner to perform a “safe handling demonstration” at the dealership before taking possession of the firearm.&nbsp;</li>



<li>If Newsom does not own one, he would have to purchase a <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/fsdcertlist">certified lock box or other DOJ-approved safety device</a> to store his gun.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Once satisfying those requirements, Newsom could take the gun home. But he would have to start a separate licensing and training process in Marin County, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/15/gavin-newsom-buys-marin-mansion/">where he lives</a>, with the sheriff’s department if he wanted to obtain a concealed-carry license.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>



<p>Gardon did not confirm whether Newsom had started the process of transferring the gun to California or if it had already arrived.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During his conversation with Ryan, Newsom defended California’s gun laws, arguing that they have earned the state one of the country’s <a href="https://giffords.org/lawcenter/resources/scorecard/?scorecard=CA">lowest rates of gun-related deaths</a>. In contrast, Republican-run states, including Tennessee, typically have the highest rates.</p>



<p>But 2nd Amendment activists have long argued that California’s restrictions have made it onerous to own firearms in the state. Paredes called Newsom’s acceptance of the gift “the height of hypocrisy.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>“He is the chameleon governor who is now changing his stripes and is excited about receiving a gun, where he has done absolutely nothing but travesties against the 2nd Amendment as governor,” Paredes said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego, said Newsom’s foray into gun ownership is likely part of a broader effort to “break down his national image as an unabashed progressive on every policy” ahead of a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/08/newsom-president-campaign-tracker/">likely 2028 presidential run</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“By accepting that gun … he may have tried to send the message that gun control is about stopping people from having assault weapons and not opposition to any licensed gun ownership,” Kousser said. “He’s both trying to change his image and trying to kind of create a new image for what a progressive today stands for.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>Gun control advocates who have worked with Newsom to tighten California’s rules said they see no problem with the governor’s new weapon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Gun owners make our movement stronger,” Monisha Henley, senior vice president for government affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement. “From tackling ghost guns to taking the gun industry head on, Gov. Newsom has shown his commitment to gun safety.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Encino who has written several of California’s restrictive gun laws, said he doesn’t “see any contradiction between responsible gun ownership and supporting strong, commonsense gun safety laws.”</p>



<p>“In fact, many of the most passionate and engaged gun safety advocates we’ve worked with are themselves gun owners — because they understand that commonsense laws can protect communities without infringing on 2nd Amendment rights,” Gabriel said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In his conversation with Ryan, Newsom said he spent Mother’s Day shooting skeet with his kids and wife. Newsom noted that his father-in-law, a staunch conservative who has donated to Republican political campaigns, gifted his young son his first rifle.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But he also said he was “challenged by large-capacity magazine clips in urban centers” and the proliferation of “weapons of war.” California’s rules around background checks, age requirements for gun ownership, and restrictions around those deemed unsafe from possessing firearms have contributed to a safer state, he argued.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“But otherwise, man,” Newsom said, “people have the right to bear arms.”&nbsp;</p>


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