When Newsom flies to Italy, a little-known nonprofit will foot the bill. Here’s what to know

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom jets off to Italy this week for the third major international trip of his administration, footing the bill will be a little-known nonprofit called the California State Protocol Foundation.

The group has strong ties to Newsom.

The foundation has paid for all three of Newsom’s international excursions, which also includes El Salvador in 2019 and Israel and China in 2023.

What is the California State Protocol Foundation?

Founded in 2002, the California State Protocol Foundation exists to help defray costs incurred by the governor for ceremonial events, such as for the inauguration, state of the state speeches or for official travel.

It’s unclear how much Newsom’s European visit will cost the foundation. Foundation President Steve Kawa said he was unable to provide an estimate for the trip.

When Newsom traveled to El Salvador, the foundation paid a little more than $44,000 for the trip, according to 2019 tax documents provided by ProPublica, a nonprofit public service journalism outlet. Kawa confirmed that that amount was accurate, but said that the El Salvador trip is “not necessarily an appropriate comparison” to the Italy trip “due to the unique complexities and arrangements.”

It’s unclear how much Newsom’s trips to Israel and China in 2023 cost, as those tax documents are not yet publicly available.

Who’s behind the California State Protocol Foundation?

According to the most recently available tax filings, the foundation has three officers, including Kawa.

Kawa, a Democratic political strategist, served as Newsom’s chief of staff when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco. He went on to serve Newsom again when Newsom was governor, spending seven months coordinating the governor’s COVID-19 response beginning in March 2020.

Other board members include include Jim DeBoo and Matina Kolokotronis.

DeBoo is a Democratic strategist who served as former executive secretary to Newsom from December 2020 to January 2023.

Kolokotronis is a name well-known in Sacramento — she serves as chief operating officer for the Sacramento Kings NBA team.

While she is not directly in Newsom’s orbit the way that Kawa and DeBoo are, her husband, Sacramento real estate developer Sotiris Kolokotronis, is a major Democratic donor, who gave $50,000 to the campaign against the Newsom recall, according to campaign filings with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Matina Kolokotronis, a Democrat, also served for a time on the California Citizens Compensation Commission, which sets salaries for state officials and lawmakers.

Where does the California State Protocol Foundation get its money?

The California State Protocol Foundation gets its money from donations made on the governor’s behalf, which is reported to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

The foundation in the past has received significant donations from entities including AT&T, Microsoft, Walmart, the lobbying arm of the California Association of Realtors and the California State Council of Laborers.

Those donations came during the tenure of Newsom’s predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, governor from 2011 to 2019.

The only recorded donations since Newsom took over as governor were from the Governor’s Inaugural Fund for inauguration expenses and from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Newsom’s 2021 state of the state speech from Dodger Stadium.

What about Newsom’s trip to Europe?

This week, Newsom is expected to attend a climate summit at Vatican City, and then head to Bologna, Italy, to announce a new climate partnership.

Here’s what is known about the trip.

According to Newsom spokesman Izzy Gardon, the governor will be traveling with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for this visit. The two will be flying commercially, Gardon said, and it is not coming at taxpayer expense.

At the Vatican Thursday, the governor will address the Pope and other world leaders, where he is expected to call for urgent action to address the world’s climate crises, according to Newsom spokesman Daniel Villasenor.

Friday, in Bologna, Newsom will announce a partnership with the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna to “share knowledge, experience and best practices to combat climate change and achieve our shared goals of carbon neutrality, achieving 100% clean electricity, and building climate resilience,” according to Villasenor.

Climate change preparedness is a major issue for many Californians. According to a July 2023 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, more than eight in 10 Californians list it as a top concern.

The trip is in character with Newsom’s climate agenda, and also allows him to burnish his diplomatic bonafides, should he make a long-rumored run for president some day.

The governor is expected to return to the Golden State next week.