Newsom’s Governor’s Mansion CEO Meeting with Sister Sparks Ethics Questions

Governor Gavin Newsom convened a CEO panel at the Sacramento Governor’s Mansion on March 26, sitting beside his sister Hilary Newsom Callan, prompting scrutiny over possible conflicts with his family’s PlumpJack holdings.

Records released by the California one outlet's show that on March 26 Governor Gavin Newsom and his sister Hilary Newsom Callan met with a select group of CEOs at the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento, a session organized with the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The governor received a briefing before the lunch-time panel, which was photographed and posted on LinkedIn.

Although Newsom has placed his ownership of the PlumpJack Group—comprising wineries, hotels and restaurants—into a blind trust overseen by family friend Shyla Hendrickson and issued an order barring state agencies from contracting with the company, the inclusion of his sister in the meeting has drawn criticism from Republican chair Corrin Rankin and ethics observers. The governor’s spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo dismissed the concerns, calling the gathering a normal part of his duties and asserting no conflict.

Hilary Newsom Callan also denied any link to PlumpJack and said she does not discuss such matters with her brother. Ethics scholars note that while blind trusts reduce actual conflicts, the appearance of impropriety can persist when close relatives remain active in related businesses.