California Rep. Ro Khanna took another swipe at Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday over California’s spending, drawing the Democratic governor into a spat that may offer a preview of the 2028 presidential primary.
Newsom’s camp hit back repeatedly this week after the Silicon Valley representative — facing heat from tech heavyweights for endorsing a controversial billionaires tax initiative that Newsom opposes — asserted widespread fraud in California’s public spending. Khanna on Tuesday vowed to introduce legislation for “a full independent audit” of the state’s budget. The governor’s office rejected Khanna’s claim and questioned his proposed solution.
Tensions between the two Democrats and possible 2028 contenders grew on Saturday, when Khanna amplified an allegation that Newsom’s office had been working to refute by asserting California had squandered $72 billion in taxpayer dollars.
He doubled down on Tuesday by saying he had been flooded with complaints from constituents about “fraud, waste, and abuse in Sacramento” and that he would seek to convene congressional hearings on “high risk programs” in California.
It’s unclear where Khanna’s figure came from, and his representatives did not reply to requests for clarification. A recent state auditor’s report noted areas where California could be vulnerable to misuse of tax dollars but did not cite the $72 billion figure. Accusations of California mismanaging money had been circulating on conservative media amid blanket coverage of welfare fraud in Minnesota.
A spokesperson for Newsom responded to Khanna’s posts by suggesting the lawmaker was sharing spurious claims.
“The Governor takes fraud seriously,” Izzy Gardon said in a statement on Monday. “He also takes accuracy seriously. We wish all elected leaders did, too.”
On Tuesday, Gardon had a new retort for Khanna’s proposal to audit California’s books: “We look forward to learning more about this idea and others proposed on Twitter.”
