(CENTER SQUARE) - California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, will lead a subcommittee that oversees the budget for the Attorney's General office.
Bonta will do so despite being the wife of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, recently selected Mia Bonta to chair Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5. The subcommittee reviews how various public safety agencies spend their money, including the California Department of Justice.
Mia Bonta also claimed there is no conflict of interest. She said she would use the position to represent her constituents’ best interests rather than her husband."My district is home to the City of Oakland, where gun violence disproportionately ravages communities of color. I have made promoting public safety and reducing recidivism legislative priorities of mine, as these issues are critically important to my constituents," she said in a statement.
"The suggestion of a conflict of interest shows a lack of understanding about the legislative process,” she added. “My focus is on continuing to fight for safe communities with an unbiased lens and unwavering commitment my constituents expect, and I look forward to taking on this work with my colleagues in the Assembly, State Senate, and Governor's administration.”
“After all, the public’s faith in government has been waning for years, and there’s no point in exacerbating the mistrust, even if the appointment is perfectly legal,” it added. “There are 79 other Assembly members, none of whom are married to the state’s attorney general, who could reasonably serve as a replacement.”
Additionally, Bob Stern, former general counsel of the Fair Political Practices Commission, told KCRA that even though the move is legal, it is not a good idea.
"They're not violating any laws, I want to make it really clear, none of this is illegal," Stern said. "But it seems to me they have a tin ear about ethics. Particularly as attorney general, he should have the highest ethical standards of any government official, they should be setting an example for everybody else."
The subcommittee's first hearing this year will happen on February 27. It will meet to discuss the state's Department of Justice on March 27.