California Gov. Newsom pushes back on ‘irresponsible’ Montana trip criticism amid state-funded travel ban

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing back against reports that he kept his family trip to Montana a secret because of a ban on state-funded travel to places with anti-LGBTQ laws.

“We are not in the business of regulating where people have family or where they spend their vacation,” Erin Mellon, Newsom’s communications director, said Wednesday. “Nor will we persecute them for visiting their family. The press shouldn’t either.”

Newsom and his family left the state on July 1, the first day of the California Legislature’s monthlong recess. The governor’s office said he was traveling out of state, but didn’t initially disclose his destination.

CalMatters first reported Tuesday night that Newsom and his family went to Montana, where first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s parents own a ranch, according to The Associated Press. The Newsoms were married there in 2008.

This is the second time this year Newsom has taken an out-of-state family trip and left Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis in charge.

The governor in March took a family spring break vacation to Central and South America. His office wouldn’t share any details about the trip, citing security concerns.

Montana is one of 22 states where California taxpayer-funded travel is prohibited because of laws that discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents.

California started the travel ban in 2016. Attorney General Rob Bonta in late June added Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah to the list after the states passed laws banning transgender women and girls from competing in school sports.

Newsom’s office emphasized that the Montana trip was personal and was not related to any kind of official state business.

“The travel ban applies to expending state funds,” Mellon said. “The governor’s travel is not being paid for by the state. Connecting the two is irresponsible and falsely implies there is something untoward.”

When CalMatters asked whether state funds were used to pay for security in Montana, a Newsom adviser said: “We don’t comment or provide details on the governor’s security.”

However, the Montana trip opened Newsom to GOP charges of hypocrisy, given his recent outspokenness over red state anti-abortion and LGTBQ policies.

During the Fourth of July weekend, Newsom released a television ad in Florida encouraging viewers to “join us in California, where we still believe in freedom.”

“California’s ‘travel ban’ is an absurd policy. The hypocrisy of our absurd governor is just the latest illustration,” said Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, of Rocklin, in a tweet.

“Maybe he’s taking notes about how to run a state, but Newsom should really stick to dealing with the crises he and his Democrat supermajority have created,” said Hallie Balch, Republican National Committee spokeswoman, in a statement. “Running off to Montana and not telling anyone just proves that he has no regard for his own rules.”

Democrats rebutted, saying even elected officials are allowed to visit relatives in other states.

“This is silly,” said Nathan Barankin, former chief of staff for Vice President Kamala Harris, in a tweet. “The guy is on vacation w/his family to visit family. You get to do that, even if you were elected to your job.”