SACRAMENTO - Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) delivered a letter to Governor Newsom requesting that he investigate and cancel a $35 million contract to a public affairs firm with deep Democrat ties. Read Senator Grove's letter here.
A story in the Sacramento Bee today finds statements from officials within the Newsom Administration who questioned the legality and appropriateness of the contract given the political bias of the firm selected for the contract and the lack of required oversight. Read the Sacramento Bee story here.
Senate Republican Leader Grove released the following statement:
"California's chief election office has been compromised. The state budget this year allocated $35 million to individual counties to help them with their vote by mail program. Yet, the Secretary of State unilaterally bypassed these counties and took it upon himself to use these funds for a "voter outreach" campaign through a Democrat PR firm.
"This contract is problematic, questionable, and reeks of political bias using taxpayer dollars. I ask Governor Newsom to immediately cancel the contract and investigate its legality and appropriateness. The integrity of our elections must not be compromised," said Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove.
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Senate Republican Leader Shan