Hilton Asks DOJ to Review Becerra Role in $225,000 Campaign Fund Theft
The request places federal review authority at the center of a California gubernatorial race, creating a dynamic where the outcome of a federal inquiry could directly shape a state election.
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has formally asked the U.S. Attorney General to review former California Attorney General and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra's role in an ongoing corruption case involving the alleged theft of $225,000 from Becerra's former campaign account, according to a report published August 30, 2026, by the New York Post.
Becerra is running for governor of California in 2026. Hilton is his opponent in that race. The theft allegation centers on funds drawn from Becerra's campaign account, and a corruption case connected to those funds remains active, according to the New York Post report. The specific defendants, charges, and court docket in that case were not fully detailed in the available source material.
Hilton's request directs the matter to the U.S. Attorney General, invoking federal oversight of a case that originated in state campaign finance. The precise legal basis Hilton cited for the federal referral was not specified in the available source material. A formal referral to the Department of Justice does not itself constitute an investigation or any finding of wrongdoing.
Becerra served as California Attorney General from January 2017 to March 2021, when he was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden. He served in that cabinet role until January 2025. His tenure at HHS included oversight of federal pandemic response programs. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017, representing California's 34th congressional district.
The $225,000 figure attributed to the alleged theft has not been independently verified through a court filing or FEC disclosure in the source material currently available. The source document does not identify which filing or criminal complaint established that amount. The document or docket that would confirm this figure would be the relevant criminal complaint or indictment filed in state or federal court.
Hilton's campaign has not filed equivalent financial disclosures or faced equivalent scrutiny in this reporting cycle based on currently available source material. Campaign finance records for both candidates are publicly available through the California Secretary of State's campaign finance database and, for any federal committee activity, through FEC filings at FEC.gov.
The New York Post report characterizes Becerra's public posture on the matter as one of denial or ignorance, though Becerra's direct statements on the allegation were not quoted in full in the available source. What Becerra has said on record, and in what forum, is not confirmed in the source material. A full accounting of his public statements would appear in press conference transcripts or official campaign communications.
Federal review of a state campaign finance matter can occur when conduct potentially involves federal statutes, including wire fraud or violations of federal campaign finance law under 52 U.S.C. Section 30101 et seq. Whether the U.S. Attorney General's office has acknowledged, accepted, or declined Hilton's referral request is unknown as of the date of this report.
What remains unknown: whether the U.S. Department of Justice has opened any inquiry in response to Hilton's request; the specific court or prosecutorial body currently handling the underlying corruption case; the names of defendants in that case; and the precise relationship between the $225,000 figure and any filed charging document. The court docket for the underlying corruption case, if filed in a California superior court or federal district court, would be the public record that answers those questions.