Gavin Newsom's Hypocrisy Continues Apace

And it's another day ending in, "Y".

In case you haven’t noticed, Governor Hair Gel has done the California Adios—again. He doesn’t want you to leave the state, but he sure has no problem doing it himself.

Do as I say….

Back in November, His Hairfulness and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom took their offspring to Cabo San Lucas, where for $29,000 a night, they got to hang out in a beautiful villa and enjoy white sand beaches while the plebes in California tried to figure out how to afford a Christmas celebration amidst rising inflation.

In April, he took his family on Spring Break to Central and South America. Mind you, California is still in “a state or emergency,” but it seems the only emergency for Hair Gel and his offspring is seeing the world on the taxpayer’s dime.

But, at least you knew about those trips. For some reason, Gavin Newsom tried to keep this disappearance under wraps.

Emily Hoeven @emily_hoeven

.@GavinNewsom left California on Friday with his family, but despite repeated questions from the Sacramento press corps, it's still unclear what day he will return to the state, along with his current whereabouts. All we know is he'll be out for the rest of the week.

Not even informing the homegrown team? Why that’s not suspect at all.

Hoeven of CalMatters kept digging and struck gold.

Emily Hoeven @emily_hoeven

SCOOP: @GavinNewsom is on vacation in Montana. His office had been loath to disclose the location until now. Montana is one of 22 states to which CA bans state-funded travel due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies. It's also likely to institute an abortion ban. More in tmrw's newsletter

At least he’s in the United States. For someone who wants to run for president of this country, that’s a plus.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s family are stupid rich, and own an estate in the Oro y Plata (“Gold and Silver”) state. California’s first couple were married there, and during the pandemic, disappeared to Montana more than a few times, as RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar uncovered.

There were numerous reports throughout the pandemic that Newsom had visited his in-law’s place in Montana while the state was in lockdown, which Newsom’s office denied, and it was common knowledge before the pandemic that the family often spent holidays or vacations there.

So what makes this time different? Well, Montana is on the list of banned state travel.

Senator Melissa Melendez @senatormelendez

Democrats have banned state travel to these states. You’ll note Montana is on the list. Also of note, Gavin Newsom is currently vacationing in…Montana.

Apparently Montana does not respect LGBTQ rights and may ban abortion, and California just cannot support that with taxpayer dollars because we’re so righteous… or something like that.

But a vacation at the Siebel family estate in Montana? Well, it’s not California’s money, so….

Or is it? Despite being on-brand for Newsom to commandeer the moral high ground on one thing, then do the exact opposite, it appears he may have broken the law by bringing along his security detail.

As Van Laar reported:

Newsom is afforded a state-funded security detail through the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and there’s no indication that those officers are not with him. That apparently puts Newsom in violation of California’s AB-1887, signed by Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown, in 2016.

[…]

Security (including a car and driver) is provided for Newsom and California’s other seven statewide constitutional officers by the CHP, and we have an idea of the dollar amounts paid to the CHP for security for the other constitutional officers because their departments have contracts with and are billed for the usage by the CHP.

In Newsom’s case, though, his security is part of the CHP’s budget and the Governor’s office isn’t required to reimburse CHP for their use.

Brown was a bare bones, old man who had one security officer his entire two terms. Newsom and his brood? We know they have an entourage—but everyone is tight-lipped about who is assigned and how much it costs.

Emily Hoeven @emily_hoeven

Newsom spokesperson Anthony York says CA doesn’t legislate where people vacation & the travel ban only applies to spending state funds. He says CA is not paying for Newsom’s travel. Asked if the state is paying for his security, York says the office doesn’t comment on security.

Newsom’s spox also snapped back at Hoeven for daring to do her job as a reporter. She’s off the rez!

Anthony York @anthonyyork49

@emily_hoeven @GavinNewsom SCOOP! The travel ban applies to using state funds. The Governor’s travel is not being paid by the state. Connecting the two is an attempt at gotcha journalism that is neither gotcha nor journalism. The governor is on a vacation with his family. He will return later this week

Ken 👮 ⚖ 🇺🇸 ⚔✈️⛵⚜️🗽 @kwm9999

@anthonyyork49 @emily_hoeven @GavinNewsom Did his security detail travel with him? Last I checked the most honest of politicians at best split security detail cost for personal travel with govt agencies, most let govt pay whole tab..... Shouldn't campaign $ follow same rules he applies to govt agencies? @AdamBaldwin

That is a question for the ages.

California civil rights attorney and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Harmeet Dhillon had this to say to Hoeven:

“At a time when Californians are still living under a two years and counting state of emergency, our gas taxes were raised (again) July 1 to the highest levels in the nation … Gavin Newsom is running campaign ads in better-run states and refusing to tell the taxpayers where he is or when he will return to his overtaxed, under-served constituents. We’d love to know the gas prices and the COVID emergency status where the Governor is. Most Californians can’t afford to take their normal holidays this year, thanks to Gavin Newsom and his party’s lack of leadership of our state.”

No lie there. For some of us, simply going across the state from Southern California to Northern California is prohibitive because of the gas prices. Imagine what that is doing to tourism in this state. Nobody is coming here, and Californians aren’t day tripping and traveling.

Another Newsom economic disaster in the making.

AB-1887, the law which instituted these state travel bans, is pretty much just symbolism anyway. No one is going to be arrested or prosecuted for breaking it.

Too bad, as it would be nice to see Newsom in an orange jumpsuit for one of his crimes, and there are many.

Newsom’s behavior continues to highlight that the rules do not apply to him, and he does not give a whit about the state he is supposed to be governing.

Jamesond72 @James_943

@MSNBC @MaddowBlog Rules for thee but not for me. Democrats motto, especially in California. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom is vacationing in Montana despite his state's ban on state-funded travel to the Treasure State.”

It’s the French Laundry, Part Deux.