California AG Rob Bonta Faces Complaint Over $468,000 in Campaign Funds for Legal Fees

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing a formal complaint regarding the alleged improper use of $468,000 from his campaign funds to cover personal legal fees. The complaint, filed by Rafael Ruthchild with the state's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), asserts that these expenditures were not "directly related to activities of the committee" nor "consistent with the primary objectives" of the campaign. The FPPC has confirmed receipt of the complaint and will determine within 14 days whether to investigate the allegations.

The significant legal expenses are linked to Bonta's cooperation as a witness in a federal bribery investigation that led to the indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and members of the Duong family, who were also Bonta's political donors. Bonta's campaign stated on November 17, in response to initial reporting, that "The AG wants to ensure that anyone who committed a crime is held accountable, so he engaged outside legal counsel to help his law enforcement partners pursue justice." Campaign finance records show five payments totaling $468,228 to the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Bonta clarified in an interview that he was a witness, not a target, in the federal probe, and was initially considered a potential victim of extortion or blackmail. He explained that the legal fees covered extensive work by attorneys to gather and produce a "large volume" of documents and information requested by federal investigators. "I may have had an audible gasp when I saw the final legal bill," Bonta stated, noting the attorneys' rates were in the thousands of dollars per hour.

The federal investigation centered on allegations of bribery and corruption involving the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, and former Mayor Thao. Bonta had previously returned $155,000 in campaign contributions from the Duong family after the investigation came to light. An informant in the case, Mario Juarez, reportedly sent Bonta a letter in 2024 claiming the Duong family possessed a "compromising video" of the Attorney General, an assertion Bonta has publicly denied as "false" and "not true."

Dan Newman, Bonta's reelection campaign adviser, dismissed Ruthchild's complaint as "a silly political stunt, completely without merit." The FPPC will review whether the use of campaign funds for legal defense in such a capacity aligns with state campaign finance regulations. This comes as Bonta's name has been mentioned in discussions regarding a potential gubernatorial run, though he has not made any announcements.