Xavier Becerra's campaign for California governor is returning a maximum $39,200 contribution it received from a mysterious conservative dark money group, saying it could not figure out why the organization wanted to give money to a Democrat in the first place. The check came from the Fund for Economic Independence, a group that does not disclose its donors and has previously supported Republican efforts in Ohio, Iowa and Florida; in Virginia, it gave $25,000 to Democrat Jay Jones.
The contribution, first reported by The Sacramento Bee, matched exactly the $39,200 per-election cap that individuals and organizations are legally allowed to give to a California gubernatorial candidate. That ceiling was set by the state's Fair Political Practices Commission effective January 1, 2025, an increase from the $36,400 limit that applied during the 2023–2024 cycle, according to Nossaman LLP. Becerra campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland said the campaign sent the contribution back because it could not understand why the group wanted to give to the campaign, per the Bee's report.
Who Is Behind the Fund for Economic Independence?
The Fund for Economic Independence describes itself as an advocate for policies, leaders and initiatives that drive economic freedom and prosperity, and it lists an office address in Alexandria, Virginia. But the group has a right-wing political bent and keeps its donors hidden, the Bee's reporting shows. It was incorporated in Virginia in June 2024 as a tax-exempt organization and reported less than $50,000 in revenue for 2024, according to Bleeding Heartland, which identified South Carolina governmental finance consultant Whitney Richland as a director alongside two attorneys from the conservative law firm Lex Politica.
Those attorneys, Steve Roberts and Nicole Kelly, both serve as officers of the Fund for Economic Independence, and Lex Politica counts Elon Musk among its clients. The law firm's founder has said the firm aims to be synonymous with the conservative movement, according to the New York Times.
A Track Record of Backing Republicans
The group's California donation stands out against its history of funding GOP candidates elsewhere. It gave $250,000 to a super PAC supporting Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and $5,000 to a group backing Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, the Bee reported. The group ran heavy television and streaming ads in Iowa in October 2025 to support Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, according to Bleeding Heartland's reporting — part of a broader effort the group claimed, in a memo later deleted, had shifted Bird from a seven-point polling deficit to a tie after roughly $600,000 in spending.
The group also gave $25,000 to Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones's campaign in July, and Jones's campaign accepted that check, per the Bee's reporting. The Fund for Economic Independence posted a memo touting its work boosting Bird on X, but the account otherwise sits mostly blank, the paper noted. Dark money groups overall spent upwards of $1 billion in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a New York Times analysis cited in the Bee's report.
Becerra Holds a Wide Fundraising and Polling Edge
Becerra doesn't appear to have needed the help. He is currently ahead of Republican Steve Hilton in polling, and a Public Policy Institute of California survey conducted in September showed him leading Hilton 60% to 38% among likely voters, a wider margin than the 55% to 37% lead he held over the summer. He also raised $12.1 million between July 1 and September 19, 2026 — almost $3 million more than Hilton brought in over the same stretch, per the Bee.
Becerra's campaign has pulled maximum donations from a wide range of established interests, including Lyft, Turo, CVS Pharmacy and Anheuser-Busch, along with the Santa Ynez and Morongo tribal groups, the California Federation of Teachers and the United Domestic Workers of America, according to the Bee's report. Becerra also spoke at a CalAsian Chamber of Commerce-sponsored gubernatorial candidate forum held at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento in April.
Becerra and Hilton are set to meet Wednesday for an hour-long, televised CNN debate at the network's Burbank studio, timed to coincide with county election officials mailing ballots to voters statewide, as Hoodline previously reported.
