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EXCLUSIVE: Not only did the in-laws of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom give money to one of his biggest political foes; they fled from his state during the pandemic.
Kenneth F. Siebel Jr. and Judith A. Siebel, parents of Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel and longtime California residents, became Florida residents in 2020 after purchasing a $3.3 million Naples home in March of that year, records show. The Siebels appear to still have ownership of their California home in northern San Francisco suburb of Ross.
Newsom’s in-laws, however, officially became registered voters in the Sunshine State as of June 2020. Kenneth Siebel is a registered Republican while Judith Siebel has no party affiliation.
The voter registration shift occurred as their son-in-law enacted some of the country’s strictest COVID lockdowns, which have widely been juxtaposed to the lack of restrictions in red states like Florida.
TRUST LINKED TO GAVIN NEWSOM’S IN-LAWS MADE CONTRIBUTION TO DESANTIS PAC
Neither the Siebels nor Gov. Newsom’s office immediately responded to Fox News’ requests for comment.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom wave to supporters during election night event on November 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously learned that a Siebel family trust made a contribution to PAC aiding Newsom’s political rival, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, earlier this year.
According to contribution records published on the Friends of Ron DeSantis website, the Siebel Family Revocable Trust made a $5,000 contribution on April 6, 2022.
FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS SWIPES AT NEWSOM’S ‘TERRIBLE GOVERNANCE’ IN CALIFORNIA
Kenneth Siebel, an investment manager, is a longtime GOP donor, according to Federal Election Commission filings. His most recent donations include contributions to the campaigns of Republicans Sens. Ron Johnson, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley.
Both Newsom and DeSantis are among the top names being floated as potential 2024 contenders in their respective parties, particularly if President Biden and former President Trump choose to sit out in the next presidential cycle.
Photos of Govs Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis
(Getty Images)
Newsom drew national attention in July for airing an ad in Florida, telling residents that “freedom is under attack” in the Sunshine State and urging them to move to California “where we still believe in freedom.”
DeSantis responded by slamming Newsom’s “terrible governance,” mocking how he now sees “a lot” of California license plates in his state, adding “if you go to California, you ain’t seeing very many Florida license plates.”
Last week, Newsom pledged $100,000 to the campaign of DeSantis’ Democratic opponent, former Rep. Charlie Crist, who previously served as Florida’s governor.
GAVIN NEWSOM’S CAMPAIGN BUYS ADS IN FLORIDA EVEN THOUGH HE’S RUNNING IN CALIFORNIA
A recent Berkeley IGS Polls survey showed that 61% Californians, including 46% of Democrats, did not want President Biden to seek a second term and that Newsom and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., topped the list among registered Democrats as the potential 2024 nominee.
Newsom was also deemed by conservatives as the Democrat most difficult to defeat in 2024 according to a straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit.
The California governor raised eyebrows for his July visit to the White House as President Biden was away on an overseas trip with critics joking he was “measuring the drapes.”
Meanwhile, DeSantis has also been highly buzzed among as a potential standard-bearer in 2024 for Republicans as the country awaits a decision from former President Trump over whether he will seek a return to the White House.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican speaks to the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 22, 2022.
(Sarah Freeman/Fox News)
Both Trump and DeSantis performed the best in CPAC’s straw poll last month which showed the former president earning a whopping 69% of support among attendees while the Florida governor received 24% support. All other Republicans polled in the single digits.
In a hypothetical primary without the former president, DeSantis topped the straw poll with 65%. Placing second was Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., with 8% backing, followed by Cruz with 6% and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with 5%. No one else topped 2% on the second ballot question.
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Notably, DeSantis edged out Trump in a New Hampshire poll conducted in June with 39% of GOP primary voters backing the governor versus the 37% who support the former president. However, the recent FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago has left some political pundits to believe that it will ultimately benefit Trump among the base.
Fox News’ Matt Wall and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.
