California Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting back against accusations regarding a bronze bust of himself at San Francisco City Hall.

According to Daily Mail, the governor has denied reports that he secretly funded a bronze bust commemorating his time as mayor of San Francisco, calling the claims "categorically false."

The controversy stems from allegations made in a new book titled "Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All," authored by Jedd McFatter and Susan Crabtree. The book claims Newsom used "behested payments" to fund a monument of himself, with donations coming from three private organizations, including two companies he owns.

Financial details spark controversy

The book alleges that Newsom's companies, Balboa Cafe Partners and PlumpJack Management Group, together contributed $10,000 toward the $97,000 bronze bust fund. These companies are reportedly owned by Newsom himself.

Brandon Richards, Newsom's Deputy Director for Rapid Response, strongly disputed these characterizations. He told Daily Mail that implying the governor personally funded or proposed the effort was false, though he acknowledged businesses tied to the Newsom family made a "modest contribution" to what was a privately funded project.

The governor's office emphasized that Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, helped raise money for the bronze bust, a fact that was previously reported by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2018. However, that reporting did not disclose the specific donations made by Newsom's family businesses.

Authors defend bombshell claims

Susan Crabtree, one of the book's co-authors, has firmly stood by their reporting. She provided a statement to the Daily Mail addressing Newsom's denials:

Team Newsom is afraid of the shocking revelations in FOOL'S GOLD—which is backed by more than forty-five pages of endnotes containing more than 1,000 open-source reputable and verifiable citations with zero anonymous sources—and that is why they are trying to smear this book.

Crabtree further stated that no one knew Newsom used "behested payments" to solicit funds from his own companies for a monument to himself until they "followed the money and unearthed the obscure documents." She also questioned whether Newsom's companies received tax breaks for funding the "charitable" statue.

The bronze bust currently sits near monuments of other two-term San Francisco mayors, including Willie Brown, Dianne Feinstein, and George Moscone, in City Hall.

Newsom's image rehabilitation efforts

The timing of these allegations could complicate Newsom's recent efforts to rehabilitate his public image. The California governor has been methodically positioning himself for a potential presidential run in 2028.

Newsom served as a surrogate for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris while simultaneously launching a podcast featuring interviews with conservative figures. His recent conversations with personalities like Charlie Kirk, Stephen K. Bannon, and radio host Michael Savage represent an apparent attempt to broaden his appeal beyond traditional Democratic constituencies.

The governor served as mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. During that time, he was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is now Donald Trump's Ambassador to Greece.

According to the book authors, Newsom has a history of using "behested payments" to fund projects that enhance his political legacy, with the statue being just one example.

Public reaction and controversy

When the bust was originally being constructed, Newsom expressed discomfort with the project. He told SFGATE at the time, "I don't want to call it embarrassing, but it's a strange thing. I'm just awkward about it. But now the word is out."

The newspaper reported then that "Newsom supporters" had paid for the bust with "private funds" but did not specify the connection to Newsom's own businesses.

Public reaction to the news has been largely negative, with critics calling the governor "ridiculous" and describing the situation as "peak leftist arrogance." One commenter suggested Newsom cares more about "immortalizing his own ego" than addressing problems facing California.

The statue controversy adds to Newsom's recent challenges. The governor has faced criticism over his handling of devastating Los Angeles wildfires that left at least 29 people dead and destroyed more than 18,000 structures. Critics have questioned his priorities while launching his podcast venture amid the disaster recovery efforts.

Governor battles claims amid political aspirations

Gavin Newsom has forcefully denied reports that he secretly funded a bronze statue of himself at San Francisco City Hall, calling such claims "categorically false." The allegations stem from a new book asserting that companies owned by Newsom contributed $10,000 toward a $97,000 bronze bust commemorating his mayoral tenure.

While the governor's office acknowledges family businesses made a "modest contribution" to the privately funded project, they emphasize that his wife helped raise money for the bust, as previously reported in 2018. The controversy emerges as Newsom carefully positions himself for potential future political ambitions, including a possible presidential run in 2028.