Assemblywoman Bonta recuses herself from overseeing husband’s California DOJ budget

California Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, will recuse herself from subcommittee matters related to her husband’s Department of Justice budget after drawing questions about potential conflict of interest issues.

KCRA 3 first reported Mia Bonta, who chairs Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on Public Safety, would be overseeing Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office finances.

The assemblywoman on Sunday released a statement saying she would recuse herself from “Budget Subcommittee 5 matters directly pertaining to the Department of Justice, including budget change proposals, proposed trailer bills, and legislative budget proposals that pertain to the DOJ to ensure that the body may focus on the important work before us.”

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, appointed Assemblywoman Bonta to lead the subcommittee. But KCRA in recent weeks began reporting on ethical concerns related to the lawmaker having control over her husband’s budget.

Assemblywoman Bonta and Rendon both said they did not see problems with the situation.

“I believe Ms. Bonta will continue to be independent and unbiased in her legislative judgment, as she has been since starting her service in the Assembly,” Rendon said in a statement to KCRA. “The Legislature has a robust and transparent budget process, designed with checks and balances to ensure the best possible budget is passed.”

In her statement, the assemblywoman maintained that position, in spite of her decision to recuse herself from DOJ matters.

“While it has been made abundantly clear that there is no legal or ethical conflict in my serving as Chair of Budget Subcommittee 5 as requested by the Speaker, I believe as legislators, we have an obligation to ensure the people of California have absolute confidence in the legislative process,” Bonta wrote.

This story was originally published February 19, 2023 at 7:08 PM.