California’s golden boy governor Gavin Newsom has found himself knee-deep in yet another scandal, and this time it’s not about gas prices, homelessness, or his French Laundry dinners.

It is about diapers, and a supposedly “pro-family” initiative that now reeks of cronyism and corruption.

Just before Mother’s Day, Newsom proudly proclaimed a new program called “Golden State Start,” a state-sponsored diaper giveaway that was supposedly all about easing costs for families. Hospitals would hand out 400 free diapers to each newborn’s parents, courtesy of California taxpayers.

The smiling photo ops and glossy branding practically screamed campaign material for a man still fantasizing about higher office.

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But as with most Newsom “initiatives,” the so-called generosity masks a mountain of insider dealing.

The nonprofit that snagged the lucrative state contract, Baby2Baby, happens to be connected to Newsom’s own circle.

One of its co-CEOs, Norah Weinstein, sits on the board of a nonprofit founded by Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The other co-CEO, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, is married to Democrat Hollywood producer Jamie Patricof, whose family has poured buckets of cash into Democrat campaigns.

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Reporters naturally asked the obvious: how did Baby2Baby get chosen among the countless nonprofits that serve mothers and children in California?

Was there an actual competitive bid or was this another royal favor from the Sacramento aristocracy?

When CBS News Sacramento began pressing for records to see the contract and any competing bids, they were stonewalled.

More than sixty days later, journalists had still received nothing.

That seems to be the pattern in Newsom’s California: glossy announcements, cozy relationships, zero transparency.

CBS California Investigates found that even though state law requires release of such documents, the Newsom administration delayed for nearly a month just to decide whether it might release them.

Then, instead of providing transparency, they continued to drag their feet while lawmakers advanced legislation that would make it even harder for the public to obtain records in the future.

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It does not take a legal scholar to see what is happening.

The longer they hold the documents, the longer they can try to bury whatever sweetheart deal was inked behind closed doors.

And the timing is not exactly flattering for the governor or his “First Partner.”

Investigative reports have already linked Newsom and Jennifer to other questionable dealings involving their allies in the nonprofit world.

Now there are whispers from Washington about a Department of Justice investigation reportedly opened in 2021 concerning the Newsoms and certain political connections.

That was back when Joe Biden was in charge of the DOJ, so the tired “Trump is targeting me” excuse just will not fly this time.

Former staff members and lobbyists have already surfaced as players in this expanding web of intrigue.

According to reports, Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson, who is heading for sentencing, and Democrat power broker Alex Podesta, who was reportedly wearing a wire, have been key figures in ongoing inquiries.

If true, the idea that the Baby2Baby scheme might be part of a broader pattern becomes impossible to dismiss.

Even as the governor’s media team insists everything is above board, Californians have yet to see a single page of the diaper contract, which supposedly involves millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

That alone is alarming enough.

But when you factor in the organization's personal ties to the governor’s wife and a major Hollywood-Democrat donor family, it becomes a full-blown scandal.

Of course, this is nothing new in Sacramento where the ruling class seems to treat ethics laws like suggestions.

The same lawmakers who nod approvingly at Newsom’s photo ops are the ones trying to pass legislation giving agencies even more time to hide documents from journalists and the public.

For the citizens footing the bill, this means even less accountability from an administration already allergic to transparency.

Critics are calling it “Diaper-Gate,” and for good reason. There is a stench of political favoritism so strong it could knock over a skunk.

As one commentator quipped, “The whole thing stinks like a dead woodchuck under the porch in Georgia in August.” Hard to disagree.

What happens next could determine whether this is just another embarrassing headline or the beginning of real legal trouble for Newsom and his political partners.

While CBS continues its fight to pry open the records, there is little doubt that federal investigators already know more than they are letting on.

Trying to hide a state contract while under federal scrutiny is a dangerous gamble. Some might even call it obstruction.

For now, though, the diaper deal remains wrapped in secrecy, just like so many other questionable moves from California’s top Democrat.

Maybe the department of justice will cut through the fluff and expose who really profited from this taxpayer-funded generosity.

Until then, Californians should keep watching and keep their popcorn ready, because this mess looks ready to blow wide open.

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