California gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra finds himself navigating a storm of scrutiny over alleged connections to a fraud case, raising questions about his ability to manage public finances effectively. This issue seems to be a stumbling block for Becerra as he tries to assure voters of his fiscal accountability.

In a recent discussion with KCRA, shared on Sunday, Becerra, who previously served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, was pressed on how he plans to ensure that taxpayer money is safeguarded under his governance. His response, however, was a lengthy discourse that veered toward his past achievements rather than addressing his fiscal policies directly.

The Democratic candidate, reportedly favored by Governor Gavin Newsom’s team, took a detour in his reply, focusing on his accomplishments both at the federal level with HHS and during his tenure as California’s attorney general. Despite this, he sidestepped the crucial topic of fiscal responsibility.

Becerra pointed to his role in managing the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, boasting, “When it came time to COVID, take a look at how we were able to get those vaccines — 700 million of those vaccines by the time we were able to finish our four years in tenure. Never once did we have to ask Americans to pay one penny.”

He also highlighted his efforts in defending California during Donald Trump’s presidency, saying, “Take a look at the work I did to protect our state at a time when Donald Trump was president the first time and was coming at our state.”

Concluding his reply, Becerra encouraged voters to assess his past record as a measure of his accountability, stating, “If people want to see what I do, how I do it, whether I can be accountable, I’d say, take a look at that record.”

Part of his record, however, includes allegations that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson plotted with lobbyist Greg Campbell and longtime Becerra aide Sean McCluskie to siphon $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign account for personal use between February 2022 and September 2024.

While McCluskie was Becerra’s chief of staff, Williamson — who also worked on Becerra’s 2018 campaign for attorney general — allegedly funneled $10,000 per month.

The funds were routed through multiple business entities and falsely labeled as pay for a “no-show” job that didn’t exist.

She pleaded not guilty, while Campbell and McCluskie pleaded guilty.

Becerra reiterated in the interview that he was misled; finding out about what happened was a “gut punch.”

When asked why the $10,000 payments did not raise red flags, the candidate said multiple campaign lawyers did not raise issues with him.

He distanced himself from overseeing the account as he had to retain an image of political neutrality as HHS chief, he explained.

The payments were legal, he noted, just not what was done afterward with the money.

The candidate has come under fire by other candidates for ties to the case. In another interview with CNN, when asked what it says about his judgment to trust McCluskie, he acknowledged, “People make mistakes.”

Becerra had been trailing in the single digits in polls, but after former congressman Eric Swalwell left the race from sexual assault allegations, he has surged to become one of the leading Democrats.

Allies of Newsom have reportedly eyed Becerra as someone to rally around.

When Becerra was asked by KCRA Sunday to grade Newsom’s tenure overall, he said “I don’t know if I can give him a grade” a minute after promising he was going to grade him. During a debate last Wednesday, he gave Newsom an “A” on tackling homelessness.

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