Sunday, October 11, 2026

Corruption, fraud, waste and NGO non profits: California Volunteers spokesperson Cristina Valdivia said the audit report’s findings have “nothing to do with accountability.”

Gavin Newsom’s pet volunteer project slapped by federal watchdog over $10.8M in questioned costs


Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pet volunteer project — a program that brought tears to his eyes in March — has been flagged by federal auditors as having weak oversight of millions of dollars in grant money.

A federal audit found ineffective oversight at California Volunteers and questioned $10.8 million in a nonprofit’s grant costs, raising accountability questions for Newsom and Josh Fryday, the governor’s “Chief Service Officer” who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor this year. 

The report — commissioned by the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General — found California Volunteers and three of seven organizations examined failed to comply with federal grant requirements. Auditors recommended recovering nearly $4.8 million in federal funding from CivicWell and disallowing another $6 million in matching contributions.

Gavin Newsom tears up while announcing the California Service Corps expansion. APT

“Inadequate monitoring creates significant risk that federal funds are misused, wasted, or subject to fraud without detection,” the report states. “California Volunteers cannot rely on subrecipient financial reports if underlying records and supporting documentation are inadequate.”

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