Becerra's Big Oil Hypocrisy: Slamming Chevron While Cashing In
Xavier Becerra is throwing punches at Big Oil while cashing checks from them. As the California gubernatorial race heats up, he’s positioning himself as the champion against oil giants, but his actions tell a different story.
“Tom Steyer made his billions off oil and coal,” Becerra tweeted, taking a jab at his billionaire opponent. “I made my career taking them to court … and winning.” But critics are quick to point out the glaring contradiction: Becerra has been raking in donations from oil companies since day one.
In June of last year, the former congressman and state attorney general accepted a whopping $39,200 from Chevron. And just as he was targeting Steyer, Chevron dropped a staggering $500,000 into a pro-Becerra committee. Talk about a cozy relationship!
“Chevron is charging Californians $6 a gallon with one hand and writing Xavier Becerra a $500,000 check with the other,” fired back Danni Wang, a spokesperson for Steyer. “As Attorney General, Becerra failed to go after Big Oil, and Chevron knows they’ll have a friend in Sacramento. Tom won’t be.”
Steyer, on the other hand, doesn’t need to rely on oil money; he’s poured over $190 million of his own fortune into his campaign. Meanwhile, Becerra was largely an afterthought until the scandal surrounding disgraced Congressman Eric Swalwell thrust him into the spotlight.
Republican candidate Steve Hilton didn’t hold back in criticizing Becerra’s double standards. “Becerra has pulled off the incredible feat of showing Californians that he’s not only a complete hypocrite but also the guy who wants to continue punishing working-class Californians with the highest gas prices in the country,” Hilton said. “That’s what the Democrats mean when they talk about taking on big oil — higher gas prices for Californians. Good luck with that on the campaign trail.”
California drivers recently faced an average of $6.14 per gallon during Memorial Day weekend—about $1.58 more than the national average, according to the American Automobile Association. State taxes and fees account for roughly 70 cents per gallon, making it the highest in the nation.
Governor Gavin Newsom has been waging war against Chevron and other oil companies while pushing climate regulations that critics argue have only inflated fuel costs. Over Memorial Day weekend, Newsom’s office urged Californians to avoid Chevron stations, claiming they were overcharging by 60 to 80 cents per gallon compared to unbranded competitors.
Chevron has responded with signs at gas stations blaming Sacramento politicians and environmental mandates for high prices. “California politicians are choosing foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and lower costs,” the signs read.
As attorney general, Becerra joined multiple climate lawsuits against fossil fuel companies and aligned himself with environmental activists eager to punish the industry. Yet, critics argue that California Democrats have spent years demonizing oil companies while residents suffer from skyrocketing fuel prices and energy costs.
In a recent interview, Becerra’s rhetoric seemed to shift dramatically. At a League of California Cities forum last month, he stated: “Chevron — that’s the problem with politics — they’re not the bad guy.” He added, “Does everybody here drive an electric vehicle? You need Chevron, I need Chevron, the people of the state of California need Chevron.”
