NEW YORK — Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, made a surprise appearance before a federal judge in New York on Thursday and pleaded guilty to lying to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating a real estate deal in Moscow on Trump's behalf during the heat of...
He Voted for Farm Worker Overtime. Farm Interests Try to Make Him Pay.
Agricultural interests have poured $420,000 in recent days into a push to unseat Bakersfield Democrat Rudy Salas Jr., who voted for a landmark bill in 2016 granting farm workers overtime. Justin Mendes, a Hanford city councilman, is the Republican challenger in one of the few Assembly seats in California where Republicans...
Democrats Get Big Bucks From Small-Dollar Donors
In any campaign, big money players get the most attention. But Democrats running in California’s seven most competitive congressional districts are vastly outraising Republicans in small-dollar donations, according to a review of campaign money compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. It’s a display of voter enthusiasm that can pay long-term dividends...
Did Tuck's Ad on Prisons vs. Schools Rile Corrections Officers?
You might not guess who is backing Assemblyman Tony Thurmond's bid to become the state superintendent of public instruction. Last month, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association contributed $500,000 to an independent expenditure committee supporting Thurmond, campaign filings show. The CCPOA since has added more muscle to its Thurmond effort, spending...
Irony Alert: Nunes Hits Up Bay Area for Campaign Donations
Highly respected San Francisco Chronicle political reporter John Wildermuth served up a scoop Monday. Rep. Devin Nunes is hitting up Bay Area conservatives for campaign donations in the fight to keep his seat against Andrew Janz. The irony is that in his local campaign ads the Tulare Republican attacks Janz, a...
Was Facebook Right or Wrong to Ban Heng's Campaign Ad?
Facebook turned down an ad for Republican congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng on Friday, her campaign said, deeming it too graphic for the social media site. Elements of the video focused on Heng's immigrant parents, who survived the atrocities inflicted by the Khmer Rouge communists during and following the 1975 end...
Who Has Raised Most Money in California Gubernatorial Race?
If former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa doesn't make the run-off to decide California's next governor, it won't be for a lack of campaign money. While former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has raised the most at $35.7 million, Villaraigosa is a close second, according to the Los Angeles Times. Six...
Candidates Spend Big in California Lieutenant Governor Race
By SOPHIA BOLLAG Associated Press SACRAMENTO — California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom once joked his job doesn't involve much governing, but that's not stopping candidates from shelling out millions of dollars to replace him. About $10 million has been spent on the race, including nearly $5 million from an independent...
Take 5: Get Up Close With State Treasurer Candidate Fiona Ma
Fiona Ma's first brush with politics came in 1994 when she was elected president of the Asian Business Association, a role that required her to lobby San Francisco City Hall and the state Legislature on business issues affecting women and minorities. Soon she was producing a report to Congress on the...
Take 5: Get Up Close With State Treasurer Candidate Fiona Ma
Fiona Ma's first brush with politics came in 1994 when she was elected president of the Asian Business Association, a role that required her to lobby San Francisco City Hall and the state Legislature on business issues affecting women and minorities. Soon she was producing a report to Congress on the...