Yet another head-scratching waste of money from America’s favorite governor (yes, I’m being sarcastic) and podcast host, California’s Gavin Newsom. 

Intrepid Sacramento journalist Ashley Zavala of KCRA reported Monday evening that, according to multiple sources, “several tech executives” had received a package from Newsom containing a prepaid “burner” phone loaded with Newsom’s direct line. Those sources also told Zavala that “some in the tech industry were at first skeptical and had security concerns when they received the phones.”

According to Politico, the packages also included a printed letter on Newsom’s official letterhead saying, “If you ever need anything, I’m a phone call away,” and, at least on the letter the publication viewed, there was an additional hand-written note “urging the executive to reach out.”

Newsom’s office confirmed that he’d been sending the phones “on a rolling basis” since November to the CEOs of the top 100 California-based companies, and said that they were paid for by the California Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2002 that “exists to help defray costs incurred by the governor for ceremonial events, such as for the inauguration, state of the state speeches or for official travel.” Newsom had his 2023 inaugural committee send $1,000,000 in unused funds to CPF in 2024, so maybe that’s where some of the funding came from. CPF also picked up the tab for Newsom’s China trip last fall.

Of the phones, Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gordon, told KCRA:

“This was the governor’s idea to connect more directly with business leaders in the state. The feedback has been positive, and it’s led to valuable interactions.”

At first glance it would seem that Newsom’s intent in sending out these phones is to get around public records laws, but his office confirmed to KCRA’s Zavala that any communications between Newsom and these executives on the burner phones is subject to the same disclosure laws that any other communications are subject to. Given that Newsom rarely seems to find an occasion on which an exemption to the California Public Records Act doesn’t apply to his communications, though, that’s of little comfort to Californians who simply want transparency in government.