California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton accused Governor Gavin Newsom of operating a corrupt taxpayer-funded program during an interview Wednesday, labeling it part of a system where Democratic allies benefit from state funds through nonprofits.
Hilton criticized Newsom’s “Golden State Start” initiative, which aims to provide 400 free diapers to mothers of newborns delivered at participating California hospitals.
“It’s not about solving anyone’s problems,” Hilton said. “Gavin Newsom wants to appear compassionate.”
The program, announced ahead of Mother’s Day and administered in partnership with Los Angeles nonprofit Baby2Baby, has already secured $7.4 million from California’s budget and seeks an additional $12.5 million for the next fiscal cycle. Critics have questioned the cost structure after calculations showed the state could spend approximately 50 cents per diaper—far higher than retail bulk prices of 12 to 16 cents each.
Ahead of the state’s June 2 primary, Hilton argued that lower taxes would better serve Californians than expanding government assistance programs.
“Instead of giving people money in their pockets by cutting taxes so they can afford diapers, he’s recycling it in this totally corrupt scheme involving nonprofits,” Hilton stated. He added: “That’s the story of everything in California—homeless nonprofits, climate justice nonprofits, fire aid nonprofits. All of these nonprofits are basically the Democrat political machine being funded out of our taxes.”
Newsom has defended the program as a “first-in-the-nation” effort to help families with affordability through bulk purchasing and direct distribution. The initiative also faces scrutiny over connections between Baby2Baby executive Norah Weinstein and the California Partners Project, an organization co-founded by Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
