Petrelis Files

SF D.A. Gascon Gave 
to Newsom and ActBlue

Given the rushed process in San Francisco to replace former district attorney Kamala Harris, who now serves as California's attorney general, there wasn't enough time to properly, fully and publicly vet her replacement, former police chief George Gascon.

With several rounds of musical chairs playing out before former mayor Gavin Newsom finally resigned that position to begin his duties as lieutenant governor, citizens barely had a day or so to weigh potential replacement DA's under consideration by Newsom.

After Newsom chose Gascon to take over for Harris' remaining 11-months in the DA's chair, it came to light that Gascon once described himself as a Republican to the Los Angeles Times and was registered as a GOP voter when he still lived in Arizona.

Since I didn't read anything in the local dailies or weeklies about any political donations made by Gascon to either candidates or political action committees, I checked a few search engines to see what contributions he might have given that could shed light on his political leanings. Here's what I discovered.

At the federal and local San Francisco levels, Gascon has made no donations. Same goes for any contributions while living in Arizona. However, when he was chief of police for Los Angeles, in 2001 he gave $50 to Democrat Tom LaBonge for his Council District 4 race.

Last fall, Gascon coughed up $250 for Newsom's lieutenant governor's campaign and he also gave $500 to ActBlue California.

Relatively small donations, and I mention them because there can never be enough sunshining of elected and appointed public officials.