Former Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) launched a series of sharp accusations against her top Democratic rivals on Monday, targeting former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer during a high-stakes CNN interview. With less than a month until the June 2nd jungle primary, Porter’s comments highlighted the growing friction in a race where she currently trails several opponents.
The tension peaked when anchor Dana Bash questioned Porter regarding a federal investigation into Becerra’s former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, who recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving the theft of funds from Becerra’s campaign account.
While Becerra has maintained he had no knowledge of the scheme and was not implicated by federal investigators, Porter characterized the situation as an unacceptable liability for the Democratic Party.
READ: Court Halts Merger Blockade: Louisiana Supreme Court Steps Into New Orleans Clerk Feud
“Secretary Becerra cannot promise Californians that he will not be named as a co-conspirator in this corruption charge,” Porter said. “It was his campaign account. He signed off on it. It was his 25-year chief of staff who was receiving the money via this scheme.”
Porter went on to compare Becerra’s situation to that of former Congressman Eric Swalwell, who exited the race earlier this year.
“I don’t want to see what happened with Eric Swalwell happen with Xavier Becerra,” she said, arguing that the risk of Becerra being indicted mid-campaign could hand the governorship to Republican Steve Hilton. “If they implicate him, I have zero doubt that he will be indicted. So we just don’t know where this is going.”
Becerra, in a previously recorded clip from a CNN debate, dismissed the allegations of personal involvement. “If I had been involved, the U.S. Attorney would have had me in that indictment,” Becerra stated. “I was not involved.”
The interview also turned toward billionaire candidate Tom Steyer. Porter accused Steyer of being the source behind a leaked viral video from five years ago that showed her berating a staffer—an incident that has impacted her standing in recent polls.
READ: Florida Rep. Luna Delivers $1.6 Million To Shield Treasure Island Sewers From Storms
“Given that Tom Steyer is the person who leaked the video with me and the staffer… he clearly wanted to be governor badly enough to knock me down to do it,” Porter alleged. When pressed for evidence, Porter cited the video’s origins within the Department of Energy, suggesting Steyer’s campaign staff had clear ties to the source.
Steyer, who recently claimed on the Pod Save America podcast that he is the only candidate capable of standing up to corporate interests, was dismissed by Porter as a “corporate special interest” himself. “He’s made his billions off being beholden to corporations, making money off fossil fuel, oil, coal,” Porter said. “To suggest that somehow he’s in this because there’s nobody else who will stand up to corporate special interests… I think everybody who’s seen his face plastered over TV for six months knows that’s probably not the case.”
At the conclusion of the segment, Bash noted that there is currently no public evidence to support the claim that Steyer leaked the video.
Recent polling shows Porter tied for fifth place, while Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton remain in a tight battle for the top spots. Under California’s primary system, only the top two finishers will advance to the November general election.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
