Gavin Newsom’s wife and her firm pocketed $3.7M from her ‘gender stereotypes’ charity, unearthed IRS filings reveal…days after her sanctimonious rant at the press

Posted For: Nova_Star

Jennifer Siebel Newsom drew attention at a Planned Parenthood press conference hosted by her husband, California Governor Gavin Newsom, last month when she criticized reporters for not asking more questions about what she described as a “war on women.”

Now, newly reviewed financial records are raising questions about compensation connected to the nonprofit she runs.

According to IRS filings reviewed by the Daily Mail, Siebel Newsom has paid herself and her production company, Girls Club LLC, a significant portion of the revenue generated by her nonprofit, the Representation Project. Records show the combined payments to Siebel Newsom and her company totaled more than $3.7 million between 2012 and 2023.

Siebel Newsom, 51, founded and leads the Representation Project, a nonprofit organization focused on addressing gender stereotypes and what it calls harmful gender norms. The group typically receives between $1 million and $1.7 million per year in grants and donations.

In recent years, financial filings indicate roughly $300,000 annually has been paid to Siebel Newsom and her company. The most recent filings, covering the fiscal year ending in March 2024, show she received a $150,000 salary from the nonprofit, while her company received another $150,000 for services.

Siebel Newsom also reportedly benefits from a multimillion-dollar family trust.

Critics have questioned whether the level of compensation is appropriate for a nonprofit of its size. According to an analysis cited by the Daily Mail, the total compensation paid to Siebel Newsom and her colleagues is higher than that of more than 95 percent of similarly sized charities.

Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of the transparency organization Americans for Public Trust, told the publication the payments could raise concerns among voters as Governor Newsom continues to gain national attention.

IRS data shows there are roughly 23,000 charities in the United States with annual revenues between $1 million and $2 million. Fewer than five percent pay executives more than the Representation Project when the payments to Siebel Newsom and her company are combined.

According to the IRS database, the median executive salary for nonprofits of that size is $31,945. Siebel Newsom’s total compensation, including payments to her company, is significantly higher.

Filings show the nonprofit reported $1,082,077 in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2021, while paying $300,000 to Siebel Newsom and Girls Club LLC. The following year, the nonprofit reported $1,051,939 in revenue and paid her and the company $302,500.

In the most recent filing, the Representation Project reported $1,704,981 in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024, with $300,000 paid to Siebel Newsom and her company.

The nonprofit’s filings say the payments to Girls Club LLC are for writer, director, and producer work related to documentary films created by Siebel Newsom. The company owns the copyright to her documentary Miss Representation and licenses it to the Representation Project for distribution and screenings.

The organization noted that production costs, including the creative fee paid to Girls Club LLC, were reimbursed by the nonprofit.

The Representation Project’s executive director, Caroline Heldman, earned a $150,000 salary according to the group’s filings, while chief financial officer Debra Garber earned $131,942. Including the payment to Siebel Newsom’s company, total executive compensation for the fiscal year ending March 2024 was $581,942.

For comparison, nonprofits of similar size pay a median combined executive compensation of $132,640.

Sarah Lee, a spokesperson for the nonprofit watchdog group Capital Research Center, said the charity’s financial structure could draw increased scrutiny.

“This isn’t the first time the Representation Project has drawn attention regarding its finances,” Lee said. “Questions about nonprofit transparency and executive compensation are likely to remain a focus.”

Siebel Newsom and the Representation Project did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail.

Under California ethics rules, Governor Newsom must disclose his spouse’s income ranges in financial filings. In disclosures from 2022 through 2024, the governor reported that his wife earned between $10,000 and $100,000 from both the Representation Project and her LLC.

Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon, said the governor is only required to report his share of spousal income.

“The filings are accurate and consistent with California law,” Gardon said.

The nonprofit also holds fundraising events, including its annual “Flip the Script” gala. According to filings, the 2023 event cost $216,274 to host and raised $598,948.

Ethics questions have also been raised regarding corporate donations to the nonprofit from companies that later received significant contracts or payments from the state of California.

Research by the watchdog group OpenTheBooks found telecommunications company AT&T donated $185,000 to the Representation Project between 2017 and 2020. In 2021, the company received more than $260 million in payments from the state.

Other donors cited in the report include Comcast, which donated $15,000 and later received more than $20 million from California, and Kaiser Permanente, which donated $20,000 and later received over $172 million.

Utility company PG&E also donated $358,000 to the nonprofit between 2011 and 2018 through its corporate foundation. In 2021, the company received more than $323 million from the state.

Amid controversy surrounding PG&E’s role in several major California wildfires, the Representation Project said in 2019 it would stop accepting donations from the company.

Critics argue the connections between donors and state funding raise questions about potential influence.

Sutherland said the situation highlights concerns about the intersection of politics, nonprofits, and fundraising.

Governor Newsom’s office has rejected suggestions of wrongdoing.

“The Governor has no role in the fundraising activities of The Representation Project, which is an independent nonprofit,” a spokesperson said. “State funds are awarded through transparent, competitive processes — not based on charitable donations or influence.”

The Representation Project has previously said it publishes donations above $5,000 on its website, though a donor list was not visible at the time of the report.

Governor Newsom was also fined $13,000 in November by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to report more than $14.3 million in payments made by organizations to nonprofits at his request between 2019 and 2024 in a timely manner.

The commission concluded the reporting violations appeared to be negligent rather than an attempt to conceal information.

Sutherland said the issue underscores the importance of transparency from elected officials.

“As a career politician, Gavin Newsom should understand the importance of timely and accurate disclosures,” she said.

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