Gov. Gavin Newsom has been crisscrossing the globe this year, but the bills for many of those flights, hotel rooms and diplomatic receptions are not always paid by the state. Instead, a private nonprofit closely tied to the governor’s office has been picking up costs that would otherwise come out of taxpayer funds. That setup is raising fresh questions about who gets real access at home when donors are effectively underwriting official travel abroad.
The organization in the middle of it all is the California State Protocol Foundation, which the governor helps staff and whose board members are appointed by Newsom, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. According to the paper, the governor’s office says the foundation’s mission is to “lessen the burden on California taxpayers” by reimbursing expenses tied to advancing the state’s economic and diplomatic interests. Critics counter that the model muddies the line between public duties and private influence, especially when deep-pocketed donors are the ones footing the bill.
What the foundation's books show
Form 990 filings and nonprofit databases indicate the Protocol Foundation brought in roughly $1.27 million in revenue in 2024 and ended that year with only about $7,790 in net assets, according to ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer. The public filings list Steve Kawa as board chair and Jim DeBoo as secretary, both figures with past ties to Newsom’s staff, and show that most of the income comes from contributions rather than program services. Those numbers underscore how outside donors effectively determine how much official travel the foundation can afford to underwrite.
Which trips were covered
Disclosure records show the foundation covered more than $13,000 for Newsom’s 2024 trip to Italy to speak at the Vatican and nearly $4,000 for his 2024 trip to Mexico City for an inauguration, according to documents reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. The foundation also reported paying roughly $15,200 for his 2023 delegation to China and $8,800 in 2020 for a trip to Miami, bringing the governor’s total reported travel and event benefits from the foundation to about $72,000 since 2019. Newsom’s office says he flies commercially rather than on private jets, even when the nonprofit is picking up the tab.
Who’s writing the checks
Some of the largest donations are spelled out in public filings. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation provided a $300,000 behested payment connected to the 2023 China delegation, and the University of California, Berkeley reported giving $220,000 to support the Vatican trip, according to reporting by CalMatters. The Protocol Foundation has also taken in money from corporate donors, including more than $80,000 from Zoox Inc., and more than $5 million was transferred into the foundation from groups that raised funds for Newsom’s inaugurations. Legal scholars quoted in that reporting say private funding of official activity can create the appearance that donors enjoy special influence over public officials.
Law, disclosure and oversight
California law requires public officials to report so-called "behested payments" within 30 days so the public can see who is giving, and for what purpose. The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission has enforced those rules in Newsom’s case. In November 2024, the agency settled with the governor over late reports of behested payments and imposed a $13,000 fine. Watchdog groups say quick and complete disclosure is essential when private donors are helping pay for official business.
How the state ultimately balances the budgetary upside of private underwriting against concerns about transparency and influence will remain a story to watch as Newsom continues to rack up miles and the Protocol Foundation files its next round of tax returns. For now, the mix of nonprofit filings, behested-payment disclosures, and scrutiny from watchdogs leaves a lingering question hanging over Sacramento: who really gets through the door when donors are the ones picking up the check.
