Newsom PAC his biggest readers: they bought thousands of copies of his memoir and his tough life, spiking sales

In a development that surprised absolutely no one who has ever watched a Democrat try to game the system, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir, accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide, according to campaign finance filings.

The PAC spending helped propel Newsom’s memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.

In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies, representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold.

"We were thrilled with the response," Click told the New York Times. "Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work."

Campaign finance filings reveal Gavin Newsom's PAC bought 67,000 copies of his memoir for over $1.5 million amid his 2024 presidential positioning. The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital. The governor will not receive royalties from the books sold through the campaign, the New York Times reported.

The Joker

When asked about the book's ranking on the best seller list, a New York Times spokesperson explained the outlet places a dagger symbol on the list to indicate when a book's ranking has been influenced by a bulk purchase.

"When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book's best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger. That's what we did with the Newsom book," Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Book promotion is common among politicians, but Newsom’s PAC spending outpaces similar political committee purchases. The Republican National Committee, for example, spent about $100,000 in 2019 purchasing Donald Trump Jr.’s book, the New York Times noted in its report. Newsom’s memoir is focused on the challenges he faced in his upbringing, addressing his battle with dyslexia and having divorced parents, as well as his political career.

Newsom's book tour, which included visiting cities across the nation, drew criticism from conservatives for the Democrat governor allegedly putting himself over leading California.

Chairwoman of the California Republican Party Corrin Rankin told Fox Digital, in response to the book campaign, she believes Newsom is trying to "rebrand his national image" while abandoning issues at home, as recent data underscores ongoing challenges in the state.

Social media commenters have not shied away from mocking Newsom over the book sales, including Republican California gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton."Gavin Newsom’s ‘bestseller’ memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: his PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount," Hilton posted to X on Thursday. "That’s two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says ‘Young Man in a Hurry’ like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns."

Newsom is considered a top potential 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, though he has not confirmed whether he will officially throw his hat in the ring.

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Child predator ready to walk arrested on surprise warrant hours before release

Chuck Todd's doppelganger

California's soft-on-crime circus just took another wild turn, but this time, a last-minute intervention stopped the show before the worst act.

David Allen Funston, 64, a convicted child predator who spent 25 years locked up for sexual abuse of children, was all set to walk free under the state's Elderly Parole Program. The unelected parole board gave him the green light, Gov. Gavin Newsom grumbled about it but couldn't stop it, and the whole thing sparked massive outrage.

But then Placer County stepped in with a new arrest warrant and fresh charges tied to the original 1996 crimes in Roseville. CDCR confirmed that around 7:30 a.m., Funston was handed over to authorities instead of being released as planned.

Funston had been granted parole suitability on Tuesday and was due out later this week. He was originally sentenced in 1999 to life with the possibility of parole for kidnapping and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, among other horrors involving multiple victims. Prosecutors say he kidnapped and molested a child back in 1996.

The mugshot of this Sacramento County monster tells the story: convicted in 1999 on multiple counts of kidnapping and child molestation. He got three life terms originally, but California's Elderly Parole Program kicked in once he hit the age and time requirements. He became eligible at 50 after 20 straight years inside.

The parole board found him suitable back on Sept. 24, 2025. Newsom kicked it back for an en banc review on Jan. 9, 2026. On Feb. 18, 2026, the board doubled down and reaffirmed parole.Placer County DA refiled charges within the statute of limitations, and boom, warrant issued. That halted the release cold.

California GOP Chair Corrin Rankin didn't hold back: "This last-minute warrant doesn’t fix the problem — it exposes it. California Democrats, led by Gavin Newsom, built a parole system that was ready and willing to release a violent child predator back into our community. Newsom signed the laws that created these loopholes, appointed the people who uphold them, and the Democratic majority in the legislature continues to prioritize the well-being of criminals over victims," Rankin said.

The former prosecutor who helped nail Funston originally chimed in too: "God bless Placer County DA for charging David Funston for crimes committed by this serial child predator," the former prosecutor said. "Let’s remember that @CAgovernor signed the law allowing this to happen. But Placer DA stepped in to stop this insanity."

For the victims, this hits hard and personal. One victim, Amelia, spoke out after the initial parole approval: "I’m disgusted with the fact that they would even believe anything that he would happen to say," Amelia told Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle." "I don’t believe that people like that change."She detailed the lifelong damage: "I would love to have a child, and this is what this man took from me. And I feel like, personally, that’s very hurtful," she said. "I have trauma. I don't trust anybody. I don't trust anything."

And the fear if he ever got out: "If he gets out, who knows if he'll do it again?" Amelia said. "I was told that he fantasizes still about children . . .  why would you let this man out? When he gets out, how do you not know if he will continue?"

Funston claimed to the board he was "disgusted and ashamed" of his past and "truly sorry" for the harm. Amelia wasn't buying it, and statistics regarding recidivism doesn't suggest that he won't re-offend. And besides, his incarceration was intended for punishment and to keep the community safe from this low-life.

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper and DA Thien Ho had already sounded the alarm, calling him an ongoing danger and pushing hard to block the release.

It's not clear yet when Funston will appear in Placer County court.

The warrant may have stopped this particular predator from hitting the streets today, but it lays bare the rotten core of California's parole setup: laws and appointees that put monsters first and victims last. The outrage isn't going away anytime soon.

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