Gov. Gavin Newsom is giving one of his most trusted political soldiers a cushy, taxpayer-funded appointment as he nears the end of his tenure leading California, reviving accusations “cronyism” may be one of the lasting legacies of this governorship.
Newsom has tapped his political strategist and former chief of staff, Jim DeBoo, for a seat on the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, a job paying nearly $60,000 for monthly board meetings.
DeBoo, who founded DeBoo Strategic Affairs in 2023, appears to have little obvious experience for the role, and his status for the job is pending confirmation by the state Senate.
The pick drew fire from state Republicans, who called it another example of Newsom — who is the subject of a federal investigation — taking care of political allies as he looks beyond California and toward a potential 2028 White House bid.
“Governor Newsom is months away from leaving office, yet he still wants his friends in key government positions, including in roles where subject-matter expertise is in question,” said state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach.
“This is cronyism at its best.”
The governor’s office and DeBoo did not respond to requests for comment.
DeBoo was brought into the governor’s office in 2020 as executive secretary, effectively making him Newsom’s chief of staff as the state was still under COVID restrictions and a recall campaign was gaining momentum.
He and his firm have hauled in more than $2.4 million in campaign money since 2020, according to The Post’s review of records on the Secretary of State’s website.
This work included numerous ballot measures by the state Democratic Party and the governor, including the 2021 recall.
After leaving government, DeBoo became one of Sacramento’s best-known Democratic consultants.
His firm has touted his work shaping Newsom’s agenda, managing the administration through major crises and serving as chair of the governor’s inaugural committee.
He has helped Newsom push back on the state billionaire tax while the governor last week pivoted to floating a national billionaire tax.
Meanwhile, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board oversees flood-control planning and permitting across one of California’s most flood-prone regions, including levees, floodways and projects tied to the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems.
Also on Friday, Newsom appointed Jared Blumenfeld, his former California Environmental Protection Agency secretary, to the State Water Resources Control Board, a job paying $186,721.
Blumenfeld notably has more experience for this role than DeBoo, but his ties to the governor go back even further after working for Newsom when the latter was mayor of San Francisco.
Critics of the governor say the appointments show another example of Newsom handing out gifts to those who are loyal to him.
Last week, The Post documented a slew of appointments Newsom gave to wealthy donors who contributed money to Newsom’s political action committees, as well as the California Partners Project, a nonprofit that amplifies the public image of the governor’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
Those who received coveted appointments included Mark Arabo, CEO of Refined Management, who gave a $25,000 contribution the day before Newsom appointed him to the State Racetrack Leasing Commission; Andrew Tavakoli, chief executive of Tavaco Properties, who gave $45,000 months before being appointed to the Exposition Park and California Science Center Board; and Greg Sarris, leader of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which has given $2.3 million in behested payments to Newsom since 2022.
Sarris was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents in 2023.
“This is just more of the same insider games from Gavin Newsom that puts Californians last,” California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told The Post.
“These important boards exist to protect our water, our communities, and our safety, not to serve as cushy rewards for his political allies that damage our communities and drive up our cost of living. The next governor needs to end this decadent system of patronage and put Californians, not their friends, first.”
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