California Governor’s Travel: Who Really Pays?

The governor of California has been on the road again, this time to Munich, where he spoke about his state’s climate plans. He said simply “I’m showing up.” The trip is part of a series that includes Brazil, Switzerland and now Germany, where he pushes California as a climate partner.

But people have asked: who foots the bill for these journeys? In most cases, it isn’t taxpayers. The state’s travel is paid by a nonprofit called the California State Protocol Foundation. This foundation receives money mainly from corporations and is run by a board that Governor Newsom appoints.

The arrangement started back in 2004 under former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It has been used by several governors since then, and the foundation’s purpose is to keep California’s money out of covering travel for the governor’s office. However, critics say it gives donors a shortcut to influence officials.

The foundation’s donors include big names in healthcare, such as Centene and CVS Pharmacy. Many of the funds come from other nonprofits tied to the governor’s circle, giving those groups a seat at the table. An advocacy group says this is a problem because donors get access to politicians when they pay for their travel.

The foundation’s tax filings show it earned about $1.3 million in 2024 and had less than $8,000 left after expenses. It pays for the governor’s international trips and some domestic ones like Climate Week in New York. The governor’s staff also gets covered. Records show the foundation spent over $13,000 on a 2024 trip to Italy where he spoke at the Vatican and nearly $4,000 on a trip to Mexico City for the inauguration of a new president.

In 2023 it paid $15,200 for a trip to China that included meetings and a private tour of the Forbidden City. Even a Super Bowl trip in 2020 cost $8,800. The foundation has yet to report how much it spent on trips to Brazil for COP30 or Switzerland for the World Economic Summit.

Some donors are easy to spot. The Environmental Fund Resources Legacy gave $100,000 last year; the U.S. Energy Foundation donated $150,000 for COP30; the Hewlett Foundation gave $300,000 for China. The University of California, Berkeley, contributed $220,000 for the Vatican trip in 2024. Two donations from Zoox Inc., a company owned by Amazon, total $80,000.

Other donors come through charities set up for the governor’s inaugurations. These charities moved more than $5 million to the foundation since 2019, and their supporters include unions, corporations, tribal casinos, trade groups and healthcare companies that have a stake in state policy.

The foundation’s past spending has drawn criticism. An investigation in 2007 found that during Schwarzenegger’s term, the foundation paid for expensive travel like private jets and luxury suites without fully disclosing it. Those expenses were classified as gifts to the office, not to the governor personally, so they didn’t appear on his annual disclosure forms. Newsom’s office says he travels commercially, not on private jets.