Bonta Campaign Spends Nearly $500,000 on Legal Counsel Amid Federal Bribery Probe

California Attorney General Rob Bonta's campaign has clarified that it spent nearly $500,000 in campaign funds to provide legal counsel for Bonta as federal authorities sought information from him during an ongoing bribery investigation. The campaign, through consultant Dan Newman, stated that the use of these funds was "absolutely proper" and necessary given the nature of the charges against implicated individuals. This significant expenditure, totaling approximately $468,000 to the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, represents a historic amount for a California statewide office candidate.
The federal investigation centers on an alleged bribery scheme in Oakland involving former Mayor Sheng Thao and local business owners David Trung Duong and Andy Hung Duong. Bonta's campaign consultant, Dan Newman, indicated that federal investigators approached Bonta as a "possible victim" in the case, and his legal team's role was solely to assist by providing helpful information. Newman confirmed that Bonta's involvement in the investigation concluded in 2024 and he was never a target.
Questions have arisen regarding the legality of using campaign funds for such legal expenses. California law generally permits the use of campaign funds for legal costs if they are directly related to a candidate's or officeholder's duties or campaign activities. Loyola School of Law Professor Jessica Levinson noted that the only clear justification would be if the investigation directly tied to the Duongs' donations to Bonta's campaign.
The Duong family, prominent in the waste-hauling business, had donated $155,000 to Bonta's campaigns, with Andy and David Duong contributing $24,300 to his 2026 Attorney General campaign. Bonta's campaign stated that these donations were returned after the federal investigation became public, out of an "abundance of caution." The former Mayor Thao and the Duongs have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
The substantial legal fees and the shifting explanations from Bonta's campaign have drawn scrutiny from campaign finance experts and political observers, especially as Bonta considers a potential gubernatorial run in 2026. This situation highlights the complexities public officials face when navigating legal inquiries and campaign finance regulations.