{"id":2602948,"date":"2026-05-14T22:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T02:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/steve-hilton-tells-becerra-to-prepare-criminal-defense-at-ca-governor-debate\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T22:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T02:05:35","slug":"steve-hilton-tells-becerra-to-prepare-criminal-defense-at-ca-governor-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/steve-hilton-tells-becerra-to-prepare-criminal-defense-at-ca-governor-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Hilton tells Becerra to prepare &#8216;criminal defense&#8217; at CA governor debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsteve-hilton-tells-becerra-to-prepare-criminal-defense-at-ca-governor-debate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2602948&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Steve Hilton, a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for California governor, caused a stir at a debate by telling democrat Xavier Becerra to stop campaigning and instead prepare for his \u201ccriminal defense.\u201d Hilton referenced allegations that Becerra was implicated in a corruption matter involving improper or illegal payments from a campaign account during Becerra\u2019s time in the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra responded jokingly at first, then denied the corruption allegations and highlighted his record expanding healthcare coverage. The moderator pushed him to address the claims further, and Becerra reiterated that he was not involved in any wrongdoing, noting that federal prosecutors had not implicated any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-secretary-of-state-investigating-voter-registration-group-run-by-democrat-raphael-warnock\/\" title=\"Georgia Secretary Of State Investigating Voter Registration Group Run By Democrat Raphael Warnock\">gubernatorial candidate<\/a> in the specific matter Hilton cited. A former adviser to becerra, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal corruption-related charges tied<\/a> to prosecutors\u2019 claims about money taken from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsoms-ex-chief-of-staff-indicted-for-fraud-scheme\/\" title=\"Newsom&#039;s Ex-Chief Of ... Indicted For Fraud Scheme\">dormant campaign account<\/a>, though Becerra himself has not been charged.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Republican California gubernatorial candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4554414\/becerra-hilton-tied-california-gubernatorial-poll\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4554414\">Steve Hilton<\/a> drew gasps from the California governor debate crowd after telling former Health and Human Services Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/xavier-becerra\" type=\"link\" id=\"washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra<\/a> to prepare his criminal defense in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4569130\/former-newsom-chief-of-staff-pleads-guilty-corruption-charges\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4569130\">corruption case<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump-endorsed Hilton targeted one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-jeff-jackson-drops-out-of-north-carolina-senate-race-clearing-path-to-nomination-for-beasley\/\" title=\"Democrat Jeff Jackson Drops Out Of North Carolina Senate ..., Clearing Path To Nomination For Beasley\">highest-polling candidates<\/a> in the race over allegations of corruption during his time in the Biden administration and new allegations about improper payments taken from his campaign account.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4569398\/erin-stewart-connecticut-governor-fraud\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Connecticut GOP governor candidate drops out after fraud allegations emerge<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4569619\/newsom-says-redistricting-is-jim-crow-2-0\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Newsom says redistricting is \u2018Jim Crow 2.0\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4567130\/xavier-becerra-front-runner-california-governor-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Xavier Becerra becomes front-runner in California gubernatorial race, edging out Steve Hilton: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s another point I think we have to acknowledge: We learned today that Xavier was implicated in this corruption scandal today. We learned that he knew about illegal and improper payments from his campaign account to his former chief of staff,\u201d Hilton said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cHonestly, and it pains me to say it because I like you personally, Xavier, but you shouldn\u2019t be on the debate stage. You shouldn\u2019t be in this race. You should be preparing your criminal defense,\u201d he said, drawing an audible response from the audience.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra appeared noticeably taken aback, first responding with a joke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith friends like that, who needs enemies, right?\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Becerra responded by disputing accusations of corruption and mishandling during his time as HHS secretary, then boasted of his expansion of healthcare coverage, saying it was \u201cfar beyond what Donald Trump [did], your daddy, and we are going to continue to move forward in California.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The moderator had to press him to respond to the corruption allegations that emerged on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4569130\/former-newsom-chief-of-staff-pleads-guilty-corruption-charges\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4569130\">FORMER NEWSOM CHIEF OF STAFF PLEADS GUILTY ON CORRUPTION CHARGES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I\u2019ve said from day one, I was not involved in the wrongdoing. I had nothing to do with that. I did nothing wrong, and don\u2019t take my words for it. Take the words of the U.S. attorney, who said no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-texas-democrat-is-running-as-a-champion-of-political-christians-she-pans-them-in-her-book\/\" title=\"A Texas Democrat Is Running as a Champion of Political Christians. She Pans Them in Her Book.\">candidate running<\/a> for governor has been implicated in this particular matter. So, Steve, you may not want to accept it, but the truth is what it is. You don\u2019t get to make up the facts,\u201d Becerra said, beginning a further exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Dana Williamson, a former adviser to Becerra, pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal\u00a0corruption-related charges tied to a scheme prosecutors say siphoned money from a dormant campaign account. Becerra hasn\u2019t been charged or officially accused of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hilton gasped debate crowd by urging Becerra to prep criminal defense<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2602949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26119040886712.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[79703,61877,32742,44966,45426],"class_list":["post-2602948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-california-governor-debate","tag-criminal-defense","tag-gavin-newsom","tag-steve-hilton","tag-xavier-becerra"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26119040886712.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2602948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2602948"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2602948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2602952,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2602948\/revisions\/2602952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2602949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2602948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2602948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2602948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}