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Tom Steyer has spent a record-breaking $200 million in the race for California governor — and even some of the progressive billionaire’s top supporters admit they’re “disgusted” with the money involved in the high-stakes race.
In a media call Tuesday, just a week before the June 2 primary election, state Sen. Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) ironically slammed money in politics and claimed the hedge fund billionaire would “level the playing field” after spending his vast hedge fund fortune getting elected.
“I’m disgusted by it all, too. It’s like, I want, if we can just win this one, though, I actually think we’ll change California law,” Stern said.
Stern blasted big oil’s attacks on Steyer, but admitted that the industry may have been forced to shell out the dough because of the billionaire’s own staggering cash spends on the race.
“Do I think that triggered this response? Yeah,” Stern said.
“I don’t think they would have muscled this kind of response … and consolidated in that way if they weren’t threatened.”
The suggestion that Steyer would exploit campaign finance loopholes in his bid for governor, only to then rewrite the rules, would be an example of history repeating itself.
Steyer made huge sums of money off of the fossil fuel industry while running his hedge fund Farallon Capital before becoming an ardent environmentalist. He also invested in private prisons, only to reverse his position on these investments being morally defensible.
Stern said it’s important not to apply “moral purity tests” in elections, as people can change.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
