![]() ![]() ![]() “A sort of majordomo for the new governor” The trend of Axiom’s fossil fuel-related and environmentally controversial clients benefiting from Newsom administration decisions raises concerns that the governor’s actions towards the corporations represented by his longtime friend’s lobbying firm conflict with his words around climate. While Newsom has tried to position himself as a leading progressive on environmental issues, many climate advocates have criticized what they see as his lax regulation of the oil and gas industry. A review of state lobbying records, official governmental actions, and news reports by LittleSis and Sludge found several cases in which Axiom’s energy clients received favorable outcomes from the Newsom administration, a trend that suggests Newsom’s decisions may have been inappropriately influenced by Kinney’s firm. Axiom’s client list includes several oil and gas companies, and other businesses in the energy industry. Kinney’s close friendship with the governor appears to be a major asset for his lobbying firm, Axiom Advisors, whose clients include dozens of companies that employ the firm for help influencing the administration. But Newsom wasn’t breaking the guidelines for just any old event-Kinney and Newsom are close personal friends who have worked together continually for nearly 20 years. ![]() Indeed, Newsom was forced to publicly apologize for his decision, and the image it created of hypocrisy and arrogance will likely dog him for years. The dinner was organized to celebrate the birthday of Newsom’s advisor Jason Kinney, who is also a top lobbyist in the state.Īttending the event was a big PR risk for Newsom, who had for months been telling his constituents not to do exactly what he did by attending the party. Gavin Newsom defied his state’s own guidelines to attend a mostly-indoors dinner at the upscale French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley. In mid-November, as Covid cases in California were hitting numbers not seen in the state since the initial spring surge, Gov. This article was produced in partnership with LittleSis. ![]()
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