It's arguably basic money laundering but just enough of a grey area to skate by with plausibility that the PAC would push the book though they''ll either never actually be printed and later cancelled or be stored in a warehouse a few years then dumped.

doubledog said:

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Old as politics... Remember "Reflections of a Public Man" by the democrat Jim Wright. (1980s)

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Yeah, but I'm wondering if it was ever this blatant and pervasive. It doesn't seem like they even try to be subtle at all anymore. Before long, they'll actually be saying things like "just pull that money from the slush fund" or "just launder that through." Or hell, maybe they won't even need to launder it anymore and people will just say "here's your bribe Mr Newsome."

"When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed." ~ Ayn Rand

What, you got something against books??

Also an easy way for donors to launder money directly to a politican as well. So dumb.

Is there anyone that would have standing to sue here? Prosecute, outside of the federal government?

I don't think the DOJ should pursue, because it would just help Newsome, a lot, with Dems, but it would be interesting if someone else could.

I would think not, but wondering if a lawyer might have an opinion.

Could people that previously donated to his PAC that have changed their mind on Newsome file suit? A class action of a few pissed off Dems relative to this would be interesting.

Was it a NYT best seller? Shocked they are reporting this. That tells me they've picked someone different in the DNC as their next POTUS candidate. AOC perhaps?

If only Kinky Friedman had givenout copies of The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover or Armadillos and Old Lace while he was running for governor.

Is this not illegal? Don't you have to use PAC money for campaign purposes?

YouBet said:

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Was it a NYT best seller? Shocked they are reporting this. That tells me they've picked someone different in the DNC as their next POTUS candidate. AOC perhaps?

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They've witnessed him stumbling a lot lately and Nick Shirley has made him look really bad. Then that wife of his started to open her mouth a month or so ago and has been an epic disaster.
They might be forced to go with kammie again.

ts5641 said:

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Is this not illegal? Don't you have to use PAC money for campaign purposes?

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Quote:

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At least six senators who disclosed receiving income from books in 2020Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)apparently used money from campaign donors to buy their own books.

The transactions all seem to be legal. Lawmakers are allowed to dip into their campaign coffers to boost book sales, so long as those sales do not increase their personal royalties. "Both the House and Senate place dollar limits on outside employment, but there isan exception for publishing contracts, which are pre-approved by the ethics committees," said Brett Kappel, an attorney specializing in campaign finance at Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg. "The FEC has issued a long series of advisory opinions allowing members to use campaign funds to buy copies of their own books at a discount from the publisher,provided that the royalties they would normally receive on those sales are given to charity."

Spokespeople for four of the senators all said the campaigns followed the law regarding royalties.

Even when author royalties go to charity, publishers still make money. That could theoretically prompt certain firms to dole out bigger advances to politicians, knowing they can lock in bulk buys from political committees.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2021/08/13/senators-use-campaign-donor-money-to-buy-their-own-books/

Seven Costanza said:

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ts5641 said:

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Is this not illegal? Don't you have to use PAC money for campaign purposes?

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Quote:

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At least six senators who disclosed receiving income from books in 2020Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)apparently used money from campaign donors to buy their own books.

The transactions all seem to be legal. Lawmakers are allowed to dip into their campaign coffers to boost book sales, so long as those sales do not increase their personal royalties. "Both the House and Senate place dollar limits on outside employment, but there isan exception for publishing contracts, which are pre-approved by the ethics committees," said Brett Kappel, an attorney specializing in campaign finance at Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg. "The FEC has issued a long series of advisory opinions allowing members to use campaign funds to buy copies of their own books at a discount from the publisher,provided that the royalties they would normally receive on those sales are given to charity."

Spokespeople for four of the senators all said the campaigns followed the law regarding royalties.

Even when author royalties go to charity, publishers still make money. That could theoretically prompt certain firms to dole out bigger advances to politicians, knowing they can lock in bulk buys from political committees.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2021/08/13/senators-use-campaign-donor-money-to-buy-their-own-books/

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Thanks for the information.
So it's legal, just corrupt ethically.

YouBet said:

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Was it a NYT best seller? Shocked they are reporting this. That tells me they've picked someone different in the DNC as their next POTUS candidate. AOC perhaps?

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It likely could have been a NYT best settler if it had been illustrated by Hunter Biden.

Oftentimes politicians “write books” so they can launder money. Gavin is running for President. He may be limited with campaign contributions, but a shady NGO can purchase 500K copies of his book and burn em. Now he’s got campaign funds laundered as “book residuals”. https://t.co/4qbXRmFBdO

— Mann Made Cinema (@Hotshot_Movie) December 21, 2025

Ever wonder why a copy of some idiot politician's book is in your goody bag at some seminar your company forces you to attend?

Just wait until he sets up the Newsom Foundation. Bill and Hillary perfected the model.