By In an attempt to appear to be a moderate for 2028, California Gavin Newsom has pulled out all the stop. In an unconventional effort to strengthen relationships with California’s business leaders, Newsom has been personally distributing cellphones to top executives across the state, preloaded with his direct contact information.
Multiple business leaders told local reporters that many of these devices have been given to leaders in the technology sector, with some executives receiving them as recently as this past weekend. While initial responses included skepticism and security concerns, Newsom’s office has characterized the initiative as a strategic move to facilitate direct communication between the governor and corporate leadership.
Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s communications director, explained that the initiative, which began in November, aims to enhance collaboration with approximately 100 CEOs from California’s largest businesses. “This was the governor’s idea to build stronger connections with the state’s business leaders,” Gardon said. “The response has been positive, leading to valuable discussions.”
To finance the program, Newsom’s office has turned to the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has previously covered costs for official travel, ceremonial events, and the governor’s inauguration.
Politico reported:
“If you ever need anything, I’m a phone call away,” read one note to a prominent tech firm’s CEO printed on official letterhead, along with a hand-scrawled addendum urging the executive to reach out. (We agreed to withhold the executive’s identity to protect our tipster.)
It was Newsom’s idea, a representative said, and has already yielded some “valuable interactions.”
That arrangement surprised some people POLITICO spoke with, largely because Newsom is already known as an inveterate texter whose digits live in many business titans’ contacts. He’s also long been seen as more aligned with business interests than the Legislature, the proverbial adult in the room when private pillars like Silicon Valley need a sympathetic ear or a veto.
According to the administration, this direct communication strategy reflects a broader commitment to fostering economic growth, job creation, and the expansion of key industries within the state. However, all conversations conducted through these phones remain subject to California’s public records laws, ensuring transparency in governmental communications.
The governor’s office has not disclosed the full list of recipients.
Being friendly with Newsom has often paid off for business leaders. While the California mugged before cameras and patted himself on the back for raising the minimum wage of fast food workers, his closest political donors received exemptions, giving them a huge competitive advantage and putting money back in their pocket in what appeared to be a pay to play scandal.
Maybe Gavin Newsom is the perfect protege for Joe Biden after all. The two appear to have the same penchant for having those close to them receive huge windfalls related to their pal being in charge.
On April 1, 2024, fast food restaurants across California were forced to pay their workers $20 an hour. All fast food places except one lucky corporation that received an exemption because it “bakes bread,” which just so happens to be deeply connected to the governor’s good friends and major donors.
“The restaurant chain Panera Bread,” wrote The New York Sun, “will be free from paying its employees an extra four dollars an hour that a new law will require of all fast-food restaurants in California thanks to the chain founder’s cozy relationship with Governor Newsom.
The California law will raise the state minimum wage at fast-food restaurants to $20 an hour from the existing amount of $16 an hour now. Chains that bake and sell bread as standalone items, though, are exempt from that rule — benefiting the likes of Panera Bread, whose 125 restaurants are owned by billionaire business titan Greg Flynn.
Governor Newsom advocated for the exemption, according to Bloomberg News. That might have something to do with the fact that Mr. Flynn, who runs the world’s largest franchisee operator of restaurants and fitness clubs, is a longtime donor to the governor. His California holdings include 24 Panera Bread spots.”
The Daily Caller reported that “Flynn is worth at least $1.1 billion and controls an empire of 2,600 franchise locations for brands like Applebee’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Wendy’s, according to Bloomberg. The only other franchise brand that Flynn owns in California is Applebee’s.
The billionaire originally sought to have Panera not be considered a fast food restaurant, arguing it was a fast-casual chain, according to Bloomberg. The Service Employees Union, which was orchestrating the drive for the bill, later decided instead to create the bread maker carve-out to convince Newsom to sign the bill due to the governor’s relationship with Flynn.”
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