A former aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom, Dana Williamson, was indicted on 23 federal charges including fraud and conspiracy related to diverting campaign funds from Xavier Becerra's campaign, with allegations involving money laundering, false contracts, and inflated tax deductions. The investigation, ongoing for three years, also implicates other co-conspirators, but Becerra and Newsom are not directly involved. Williamson faces potential prison time, and the case highlights ongoing concerns about political corruption.
With Kamala Harris out of the California governor's race, Katie Porter is emerging as a front-runner due to her polling and fundraising, but the field remains wide open with no clear leader, and endorsements and fundraising will play crucial roles moving forward.
After a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling classified embryos as "extrauterine children," causing nearly half of the state's IVF clinics to pause treatments, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed concern over the broader impact on reproductive health care access. Advocates and affected individuals are pressuring the Alabama Legislature to pass a bill protecting fertility treatments, while federal officials are exploring limited options to safeguard IVF access in the state.
The Biden administration is sending Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to Alabama to discuss the recent controversial court ruling that has disrupted in vitro fertilization treatment in the state. The ruling, which considers frozen embryos as children under state law, has sparked concern and debate among politicians and healthcare professionals. President Biden and Vice President Harris have criticized the ruling, while some Republicans have also expressed alarm. Becerra's visit aims to address the impact of the ruling on patients and doctors in Alabama.
Congressional marijuana reform leaders are optimistic that a cannabis scheduling review, directed by President Joe Biden, could be completed this year, according to a top Biden administration official. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that he hopes to send the president a scheduling decision “this year.” Three co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus expressed cautious optimism that the secretary will follow through with action in the coming months. Once HHS finalizes its review, it will send a scheduling recommendation to DEA, which makes the final call.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found that Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act by publicly expressing support for California Democrat Sen. Alex Padilla’s reelection while appearing in an official capacity. The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from using their official authority or influence to affect the outcome of an election. Becerra called his words an "inadvertent violation" and said he regrets them, and added that he "did not realize at the time that my off-the-cuff remarks" regarding his "personal voting intentions were in violation of the Hatch Act."
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act by using his official authority to influence the result of an election when he said he would vote for Sen. Alex Padilla at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus event last September, according to a report by the Office of Special Counsel. Becerra is one of several Biden administration officials to be cited for violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal government employees from engaging in campaign activity in their official capacity. The Trump administration was also subject to numerous Hatch Act complaints during its four years in power.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act by advocating for the election of Senator Alex Padilla at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute event in September 2021. The Office of Special Counsel found that Becerra had mixed his personal electoral preference with official remarks, which is prohibited under the Hatch Act. Becerra has expressed regret for the "inadvertent violation" and received additional counseling on the Hatch Act from his department's ethics division. The White House has not yet commented on the report.
The Office of Special Counsel has determined that Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act by expressing support for the reelection of Sen. Alex Padilla during a speech in his official capacity. The Hatch Act limits the on-the-job partisan political activities of federal employees. Becerra's remarks were "off-the-cuff" but still a violation of the law, according to the report. Penalties for violating the Hatch Act include removal from federal service, reduction in grade, debarment from federal employment for up to five years, reprimand or a civil penalty up to $1,000.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra criticized a court ruling that threatens the availability of mifepristone, a main drug used in medication abortion, as "not America" and did not rule out defying the judge's order if necessary. The drug was approved in 2000 by the FDA, which is overseen by the Health and Human Services Department headed by Becerra. A federal judge in Texas put his ruling on hold for a week so federal officials could file a challenge. There is uncertainty about access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the United States following two separate and conflicting court rulings in Texas and Washington over the legality of mifepristone.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said "everything is on the table" following a Texas federal judge's ruling to suspend the FDA's approval of the medication abortion drug mifepristone. Becerra did not say whether he believes the FDA should ignore the ruling and keep the drug on the market, but he maintained that the Biden administration is considering all options. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not back away from her call for the ruling to be ignored, while Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas warned that House GOP appropriators could defund certain FDA programs if the ruling is ultimately ignored.
Senator Ron Johnson confronted HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra about unredacted emails from Dr. Anthony Fauci regarding the origins of COVID-19 during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Johnson asked Becerra if an employee in his department is spearheading the investigation into COVID’s origins, to which Becerra responded that the department’s inspector general, the CDC, and the NIH are "doing a scrub." Johnson accused Becerra of not complying with the law because his agency is redacting things between agencies and organizations outside federal agencies when requested by Senate offices. Johnson asked Becerra to provide the last 50 pages of communications between Fauci, Francis Collins, and David Ferrar regarding the origins of the coronavirus.
During a budget hearing at the Senate Finance Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra refused to answer questions about what percentage of his workforce is still teleworking. Sen. Bill Cassidy repeatedly asked Becerra how many HHS employees are still working from home, but received no direct response. Cassidy also pressed Becerra on whether HHS has VPN data from employees’ computers that show they are working from home, but also got no answer.
