By Brigette Gabriel ACT for America – April 30, 2025
Donors Beware: The Truth Behind Carl DeMaio’s Petitions and Ballot Initiatives
Carl DeMaio, a prominent conservative activist and California Assemblymember, has built a reputation as a fighter for reform through his organization, Reform California. Promising to tackle issues like voter ID, tax hikes, and government waste, DeMaio has rallied passionate patriots to donate millions to his ballot initiatives. However, a closer look reveals a troubling pattern: DeMaio’s campaigns, particularly his high-profile voter ID initiatives, have repeatedly raised substantial sums—over $1 million in some cases—yet failed to deliver a single petition signature to qualify for the ballot. Donors are left questioning where their money went, as funds intended for transformative causes appear to have enriched DeMaio’s organization and personal ventures rather than supporting candidates or policies that could drive real change from within California’s political system.
Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice: The Voter ID Campaign That Never Was
In August 2023, DeMaio announced the California Election Integrity Initiative of 2024, a voter ID measure to restore trust in elections by requiring driver’s license verification and accurate voter rolls. Promising a constitutional amendment, he claimed Reform California was ready to collect 1 million signatures by April 2024 to secure a spot on the November 2024 ballot. The campaign raised over $2 million from September 2021 to February 2024, with DeMaio touting a “rigorous methodology” and a goal of $3 million total. Yet, when the deadline arrived, DeMaio submitted zero signatures to the California Secretary of State’s office, automatically disqualifying the initiative. This wasn’t a one-off failure—public records show a similar voter ID initiative in 2021 also raised funds but produced no signatures, with DeMaio later claiming both efforts were “groundwork” for a 2026 attempt.
The True Cost for a Successful Ballot Initiative
The campaign for Proposition 36, officially titled “Californians for Safer Communities,” raised significant funds to gather the 546,651 signatures required to qualify for the November 2024 California ballot. According to campaign finance records, the committee collected $17 million to support the initiative, which included costs for signature gathering, advertising, and other campaign activities. Signature gathering alone typically costs $2 to $15 per signature, with Proposition 36’s proponents likely paying on the higher end due to the tight timeline and competitive 2024 ballot cycle. Assuming an average cost of $8 per signature, the estimated cost for collecting the required signatures was approximately $4.4 million, though the total could be higher given market rates. The campaign’s substantial funding, bolstered by major donors like Home Depot and Walmart, ensured the collection of over 870,000 signatures by April 2024, with 74.6% validity, securing its place on the ballot. Proposition 36 passed with 70.4% voter approval on November 5, 2024
Given Carl DeMaio’s track record of raising millions for failed ballot initiatives like voter ID, which never delivered a single signature, and knowing that Proposition 36 required $17 million to succeed, donating to his campaign’s risks squandering hard-earned money that could instead fuel local war chests for a genuine conservative takeover in California.
A Pattern of Empty Promises
The voter ID debacle is part of a broader pattern. Since 2015, DeMaio and Reform California have promoted five ballot initiatives, raising millions while failing to submit a single signature for any of them. These include efforts to reform pensions, protect Proposition 13, and other conservative priorities. Despite collecting tens of thousands of online signatures and recruiting volunteers, DeMaio never followed through with the required “wet” signatures needed for ballot qualification. Critics, including conservative strategist Frank Schubert, have questioned DeMaio’s commitment: “You have to deliver for people who donate money… Are you going to file the initiative and generate support, or just talk about it and it never gets done?”
A 2018 study by Inewsource revealed Reform California raised over $2 million that year, with more than a third from small-dollar donors giving $100 or less—patriots who believed their contributions would fuel reform. Yet, the lack of tangible results raises red flags. Jason Roe, a former DeMaio consultant, suggested the initiatives might be more about data collection than passing policy, as online petitions build valuable donor lists for future fundraising.
Where Did the Money Go?
DeMaio’s Reform California operates as a political action committee (PAC), a ballot measure committee, and a slate mailer organization, giving it multiple channels to collect and spend funds. While state law allows ballot measure committees to receive contributions above candidate campaign limits, using those funds to support a candidate’s own campaign is illegal. A 2024 complaint by the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) alleged DeMaio violated these rules by funneling Reform California funds to his 75th Assembly District campaign, misusing resources meant for ballot measures. The complaint cited improper transfers of Reform California’s infrastructure, like donor data, to his campaign without reporting them as in-kind contributions, potentially breaching contribution limits. The FPPC is investigating, adding to at least four complaints against DeMaio since 2016.
Historical incidents fuel further skepticism. In 2010, DeMaio’s “Competition and Transparency in City Contracts” initiative in San Diego failed to qualify after insufficient valid signatures. Reports later surfaced that a committee, “Reforming City Hall with Carl DeMaio,” paid $16,000 to Hale Media Inc., owned by DeMaio’s partner, for signature gathering. When questioned, Hale claimed he only volunteered, and the campaign said the money reimbursed interns, raising questions about transparency.
While DeMaio’s spokesperson, Jen Jacobs, insists funds are used to “refine legislative text” and prepare for future efforts like the 2026 voter ID push, the lack of ballot qualifications suggests otherwise. Reform California’s $5.8 million raised since 2023, per campaign finance reports, dwarfs the fundraising of top California legislators, yet its impact on policy remains negligible. DeMaio’s personal ventures, like his radio show on NewsRadio 600 KOGO and the Reform California podcast, benefit from the organization’s visibility, potentially diverting resources from donor-intended causes.
