The top two Democrats in the California gubernatorial campaign have gone to war with each other over their political adverts.
Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, whose campaign is attempting a last-minute surge against Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra, have each threatened legal action against the other.
Steyer on Saturday published a commercial titled “Risky,“ which sought to connect Becerra to the criminal convictions of two former senior aides and suggested he could face legal jeopardy.
Law enforcement have said Beccera was a victim in the case.
The spot focuses on the federal corruption case involving Becerra’s former campaign manager, Dana Williamson, and former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie.
Prosecutors alleged the pair, along with lobbyist Greg Campbell, diverted $225,000 from a dormant Becerra campaign account to McCluskie. The three defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the case, including fraud-related offenses.
After highlighting those guilty pleas, the advertisement claims Becerra “knew and did nothing” and warns he “could be indicted next.”
The accusations prompted an immediate and aggressive response from the Becerra campaign.
In a cease-and-desist letter sent Saturday, attorney Nicholas Sanders of The Political Law Group argued the ad falsely attempts to tie Becerra to crimes committed by others and demanded that Steyer’s campaign pull the commercial from circulation.
Federal prosecutors have previously stated that Becerra was not implicated in the criminal charging documents tied to the case, according to Sanders. The attorney described the advertisement as “textbook defamation” and warned that legal action could follow if it remains on the air.
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“Someone should tell Tom that voters have a word for what he’s doing: it’s lying,” Becerra campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland said. “And it’s not a quality Californians are looking for in their next governor.”
The campaign has not indicated whether it intends to formally file suit.
Steyer’s team, however, appeared more than willing to escalate the confrontation.
In a sharply worded reply, campaign attorney Ryan Hughes dismissed the allegations outright and effectively dared Becerra’s camp to follow through on its legal threat.
“By all means, proceed with legal action. It would make our day,” Hughes said in a letter. “We’ll make sure to do depositions of Mr. McCluskie, Ms. Williamson and Mr. Becerra on video. As you say, voters deserve to know the truth.”
Despite the legal threats, the advertisement remains in circulation as Steyer tries to claw his way into a top-two finish under California’s open primary system.
The spending behind the effort is relatively modest compared with Steyer’s broader campaign operation.
The billionaire has poured more than $200 million of his own fortune into advertising during the race, according to campaign finance records.
Recent polling suggests the Democratic showdown remains competitive.
An Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey released Saturday placed Becerra first with 28% support, followed by Steyer at 22%. Trump-endorsed-Republican Steve Hilton trailed closely behind at 21%.
Further back were Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 12%, while Democrats Katie Porter, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa remained stuck in single digits.