Friday, November 8, 2024

‘I’m the speaker’s brother’

Presented by Uber: Inside the Golden State political arena
Nov 08, 2024 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook Newsletter Header

By Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner

Presented by 

Uber

Robert Rivas speaks.

An official code of conduct complaint has been filed with the California Democratic Party over Rick Rivas' behavior at the DNC. He is the brother of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, pictured. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP

THE BUZZ: The brother of California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas allegedly stirred up drama at the Democratic National Convention in August, name-dropping his powerful sibling to secure prime seating and berating delegates.

An official code of conduct complaint, obtained by POLITICO, was filed with the California Democratic Party over his behavior at the Chicago convention. Three attendees, including one who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution, described Rick Rivas’ demeanor at the convention as inappropriate, aggressive and erratic, and two of them noted that he repeatedly said, “I’m the brother of the speaker.”

The party deemed the complaint bona fide but found that it did not warrant further investigation. Rick Rivas did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rick Rivas has long been his brother’s most trusted political adviser — and as he ascended to the heights of public office — one of his biggest liabilities. The speaker has been scrutinized for his brother’s proximity to his political career, and has often had to answer awkward questions about his sibling’s influence on his decision-making.

Robert Rivas has, repeatedly, denied that his brother, a high-ranking political strategist for the American Beverage Association, wields any leverage in his office.

The complaint, submitted by Jonathan Padilla, a delegate from San Jose, was reviewed by party officials, who decided not to take any additional action. Emails between Padilla and the party ombudsperson, obtained by POLITICO, indicated that because Rick Rivas was not alleged to have discriminated based on a protected category, like race or ethnicity, the allegations raised by Padilla did not violate the party’s code of conduct — but that Padilla was protected against retaliation for filing a bona fide complaint.

“The California Democratic Party takes all inquiries of violations of our Code of Conduct seriously and has a thorough process through an Ombudsperson to address complaints,” Robin Swanson, a spokesperson for the party, said in a statement. “In this case, the full complaint was reviewed by the Ombudsperson and determined that this incident did not merit further investigation.”

But the people who spoke to POLITICO say the DNC incident raises questions about the role Rick Rivas plays in the office of the Assembly speaker.

A campaign spokesperson for Robert Rivas responded to questions from POLITICO with a statement, calling it a “meritless complaint.”

“The Speaker respects the CA Dem Party process and this complaint was found to have no merit over two months ago,” Elizabeth Ashford said. “He didn’t attend the convention and he has not been involved in this matter.”

Padilla, who filed the complaint, is a longtime supporter of former San Jose Mayor and Congress member-elect Sam Liccardo, and works in the tech sector. This year he helped organize crypto Democrats in support of Harris. Padilla was also behind a high-profile vote recount in the primary contest between Liccardo, Assemblymember Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, and he has worked on an independent expenditure committee in support of Liccardo’s congressional bid this year.

His 1,100-word complaint, obtained by POLITICO, offers a scathing narrative of Rick Rivas’ conduct and chastises the speaker for tacitly sanctioning such behavior.

“The guy was acting like a bully,” he said in an interview.

Read the full story here.

GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

You can text us at ‪916-562-0685 ‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte.

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

FAREWELL — After two-and-a-half years, this is my final Playbook. Thank you to all the loyal readers. The superb Tyler Katzenberger will be lending a hand to Dustin temporarily, so send all your best tips and gossip to him at tkatzenberger@politico.com. My next adventure takes me overseas, but you can always find me on X. — Lara

 

A message from Uber:

Uber Expands Safety Features For Drivers. Uber’s CEO met with drivers and couriers to unveil new updates to make their experience safer and fairer. Among them, Record My Ride lets drivers use their phones as a dashcam on trips. Uber also revamped its deactivation processes, enabling drivers to appeal decisions directly in the app. Learn more.

 
THE SCOOP

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Oakland, Calif.

Gov. Gavin Newsom | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: HOLDING DOWN THE FORT — Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to announce today that he will extend the California Highway Patrol’s “surge” deployment in Oakland to help “maintain public safety during local leadership transitions.”

The announcement comes as recall efforts against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price appear to be leading with votes being tallied, following a spike in violent crime and voter outrage over safety concerns in the region — though neither race had been officially called as of Thursday night.

“During these leadership transitions, Oakland families should feel secure knowing that the state will help maintain public safety and help keep their communities secure,” Newsom said in a statement, which was exclusively shared with Playbook.

The CHP’s deployment, which was first announced in February, had been scheduled to end this week. But Newsom’s office said the deployment would continue through the end of the year. So far, the CHP reports the operation has led to the recovery of 2,246 stolen cars and 124 illegal guns.

 

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CLIMATE AND ENERGY

COP TALK — The UN climate talks kicking off in Azerbaijan next week could be a prime Trump-proofing venue — but lots of California officials are sitting them out. Find out who's going to be there — and who's not — in last night's California Climate.

TOP TALKERS

San Francisco Mayor London Breed listens during a Covid-19 briefing.

Outgoing San Francisco Mayor London Breed. | Eric Risberg/AP Photo

LONDON FALLS — San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Thursday conceded the race to Levi Strauss heir and nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie , who heavily outspent Breed and blamed her for the city’s problems with homelessness and drug overdoses. Lurie, a first-time candidate and moderate Democrat, is far ahead of Breed in the ranked-choice election and is also edging out rivals Mark Farrell, a former interim mayor, and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin.

BLANK CHECK — President-elect Donald Trump is willing to fund his campaign promise for mass deportations at any cost, POLITICO’s Irie Sentner reports. “It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not — really, we have no choice,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News . “When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag."

SHE’S LEAVING — Vivian Jenna Wilson, daughter of tech mogul Elon Musk, announced in a Threads post that she’s leaving the United States because of Trump’s victory. “I’ve thought this for a while, but yesterday confirmed it for me. I don’t see my future being in the United States,” Wilson, who is transgender, wrote. “Even if he’s only in office for 4 years, even if the anti-trans regulations magically don’t happen, the people who willingly voted this in are not going anywhere anytime soon.”

 

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AROUND THE STATE

— Some film and media industry analysts expect the incoming Trump administration to bring more drama to Hollywood. (Los Angeles Times)

— The Sacramento mayor’s office on Thursday announced plans for a state-of-the-art pro soccer stadium and entertainment district in the city’s downtown. (Sacramento Bee)

— Venture capitalist and billionaire Michael Moritz sank millions into San Francisco races. Early returns show his picks are losing. (Mission Local)

PLAYBOOKERS

BIRTHDAYS — Amazon’s Erin CohanKatt Riley Ashley Higgins Casey Hernandez

BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Thursday): Beryl Weiner

WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.

 

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Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner

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