California – Xavier Becerra entered Thursday night’s California governor’s debate already carrying the weight of a damaging legal cloud around his campaign. By the time the forum began, that cloud had moved directly onto the stage.
The former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, now one of the leading Democrats in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, was pressed hard by rivals after two former political aides pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme to take money from an inactive campaign account tied to Becerra.
The timing turned the debate into a public test of whether Becerra could separate himself from the scandal, or whether his opponents could make it the defining issue of his campaign.
At the center of the case are Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff, and California political strategist Dana Williamson.
Prosecutors say the two were involved in siphoning $225,000 from an out-of-use campaign account that Becerra had previously used while pursuing state-level office. The payments, according to prosecutors, were withdrawn between 2022 and 2024 in amounts ranging from $7,500 to $10,000.
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Federal rules bar government employees from using campaign money for personal costs unrelated to an election or official duties.
The guilty pleas immediately raised questions over what Becerra knew, whether he had approved any of the payments, and whether the matter could follow him deeper into the campaign season.
Becerra, however, has denied wrongdoing and tried to close the door before the debate even began. In a statement released ahead of the forum, he said: “I did nothing wrong. Case closed.”
My opponents have spent millions spreading lies to purposefully mislead voters.
Today confirms what I have said from day one: I did nothing wrong. Case closed.
Now let’s continue the fight for the working people of California who deserve a Governor that leads with the truth. https://t.co/cHmivcVxTa
— Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) May 14, 2026
His rivals were not willing to let the matter rest.
Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate and one of the leading GOP names in the crowded race, delivered one of the sharpest attacks of the night. He argued that the scandal should be enough to push Becerra off the campaign trail altogether.
“Today we learned that he knew about illegal and improper payments from his campaign account to his former chief of staff,” Hilton said.
Then he went further, turning directly toward the former Biden Cabinet official with a line meant to land far beyond the debate hall.
“Honestly, it pains me to say because I like you personally, Xavier, but you shouldn’t be on this stage. You shouldn’t be in this race. You should be preparing your criminal defense,” Hilton added.
Becerra’s main response was that he has not been charged or named in the case.
That distinction is important, and according to the information currently public, prosecutors have not accused him of a crime. But on the debate stage, that answer did not end the questioning.
Katie Porter, the former Democratic congresswoman also seeking the governorship, pushed back on Becerra’s effort to frame the absence of his name in charging documents as a full defense. Porter, herself known for a prosecutorial style in public hearings, warned that the legal record may not be finished.
“What the quote was, was that you had not been mentioned in the charging documents,” Porter said.
“But as you know, that does not preclude, because you are also a trained attorney, you know that does not preclude an indictment from being issued against you,” she continued.
“We do not know what Dana Williamson said about your involvement, and the government will have the ability to reveal that later.”
The exchange placed Becerra in an uncomfortable position.
He was not merely defending a campaign platform or answering attacks over policy. He was trying to explain why voters should trust his judgment while two former figures connected to his political operation were admitting guilt in a scheme involving his own campaign funds.
The controversy also arrives at a delicate moment in California politics.
Becerra is running to replace Newsom, who is leaving office after his current term. The field is crowded, and the state’s top-two primary system means candidates from all parties will appear on the same ballot. The primary is scheduled for June 2, with the two highest vote-getters advancing to the general election on Nov. 3.
For Becerra, the race rests on a long résumé. He began his political career as deputy attorney general of California, served in the California State Assembly from 1990 to 1992, then spent more than two decades in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017.
He later became California attorney general, serving from 2017 to 2021, before President Joe Biden tapped him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That experience has helped make him a serious contender. But Thursday’s debate showed how quickly a long record can be overshadowed by a single unresolved question.
Becerra wants voters to see the guilty pleas as the actions of others, not a stain on his own candidacy. His opponents see something different: a political opening, a character test and a chance to argue that a campaign asking to run California should first answer for what happened inside its own orbit.
With less than three weeks before the primary, the scandal is no longer sitting quietly in court filings. It has become part of the race itself.
