California gubernatorial front-runner Xavier Becerra has placed a familiar face in a senior campaign role: his daughter, Clarisa Reyes-Becerra.
Campaign finance filings show the Democratic candidate’s operation has paid Reyes-Becerra, an immigration lawyer, more than $17,000.
Before joining her father’s campaign, Reyes-Becerra held positions with several immigration-focused groups. Her LinkedIn profile lists her most recent role as managing attorney at the nonprofit California Immigration Project.
Reyes-Becerra, who earned degrees from Stanford and Columbia, also serves as vice chair of First 5 Monterey County. The county commission is one of 58 publicly funded panels promoted by the late director Rob Reiner, with each commission responsible for allocating tobacco-tax revenue to early-childhood initiatives.
The California Post contacted campaign spokesman Jonathan Underland seeking additional information about Reyes-Becerra’s responsibilities, including her compensation and the amount of time she works for the campaign.
Underland told the Sacramento Bee, which first reported the hiring, that Reyes-Becerra began as a campaign volunteer. Following the primary, she transitioned into a paid position as deputy policy director.
Her duties include shaping campaign messaging and preparing Becerra and other staff members on major policy matters, ranging from healthcare to wildfire recovery, according to the newspaper.
“With Steve Hilton co-signing Trump’s ICE reign of terror, the value of an experienced attorney with a focus on immigration on our policy team cannot be overstated,” Underland said. “We’re lucky to have her.”
Although campaign committees are generally permitted to employ relatives, an ethics and compliance specialist said the arrangement depends heavily on how the job is structured and compensated.
“The issue here is, is she actually doing the work that she is being paid for? Is the amount that she is being paid market rate for that type of person doing that type of work, or is it above market, right?” said Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP.
Financial records also indicate that Reyes-Becerra has received roughly $4,300 in travel reimbursements.
Wurtzel noted that even a legitimate, substantial role may not eliminate the political risks surrounding the hire.
“It certainly gives your adversary something to point to and and try to say, there, this is nepotism,” he said. “You’re using campaign funds to pay your family. It’s some degree of vulnerability for the candidate.”
Becerra, a longtime California Democrat who previously served as President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary and as the state’s attorney general, has faced criticism for limited press availability and a sparse schedule of public appearances since securing the primary victory.
Despite those concerns, Becerra holds a substantial lead over Republican challenger Steve Hilton, benefiting from California’s heavily Democratic voter-registration advantage.
Becerra’s other two children have no role with the campaign.
