Katie Porter slams Tom Steyer over big-money ties — after cashing his checks

After billionaire activist Tom Steyer entered California’s governor’s race on Wednesday, he was criticized by former Congresswoman Katie Porter, who is also running for governor, even though she previously took thousands of dollars from him when she was in congress.

Porter said Steyer was entering the race claiming to be fighting “the very industries he got rich and helped grow,” to which the former congressman told him: “I call bulls—.” Meanwhile, Federal election Commission filings show that Porter, who claims to fight Steyer, received more than $16,000 between her House campaigns and her failed Senate campaign.

“Katie Porter is the ultimate hypocrite and everything she has done in this race is one step at a time,” the longtime Democratic strategist, who has worked with campaigns across the country, told Fox News Digital. “This is easily the most disastrous race a Democrat will run in 2026, which is why Porter is a real liability at the top of the ticket, and why Democrats are looking for alternatives.”

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Porter’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment for this story.

Steyer, who bankrolled his failed presidential bid in 2020, announced plans to enter California’s governor’s race this week. The billionaire anti-Trump activist pledged to make life more affordable for working-class Americans and take on corporate interests in a flyer alerting people to his candidacy. Steyer specifically said he would take on the oil and tobacco industries in particular, which he has touted on record in the past as well.

“A new billionaire in our race claims he will fight the same industries he gained wealth by helping grow — fossil fuel companies, tobacco, and private immigration detention facilities — at great cost to Californians,” Porter posted on X after Steyer announced his candidacy. “I call the bulls—.”

She also attached to Porter’s post a screenshot of a news headline from The Sacramento Bee that read: “Tom Steyer, who starred in TV ads for tobacco tax hike, invested in tobacco companies.”

People who commented on Porter’s post highlighted the financial support she has received from Steyer in the past. Between 2018 and 2023, Porter received at least $16,100 from him, a Fox News Digital review found.

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For Steyer, his wealth is likely to be a target for his opponents.

Democratic presidential candidate businessman Tom Steyer speaks Tuesday, January 14, 2020, during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Patrick Szymanski)

“Tom Steyer tried to buy the presidency — and failed,” Betty Yee, a former state comptroller running in the Democratic primary for governor, said after Steyer’s announcement. “The governorship of California will not be a consolation prize for him.”

Meanwhile, Porter faced criticism during the election campaign over her attitude toward staff and the media. She faced criticism last month after she abruptly withdrew from an interview with CBS after criticizing the reporter who interviewed her.

“What do you say to the 40% of California voters you’ll need to win, who voted for Trump?” Porter was asked by CBS California’s Julie Watts during a segment about Democrats’ controversial redistricting efforts in the state.

“How do I need them to win, ma’am?” Porter replied.

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“Well, unless you think you’re going to get 60% of the vote,” said the reporter, who asked about the distribution of voters between Democrats and Republicans in the state, before Porter started laughing.

Porter then talked back and forth with the reporter, debating whether she needed to court Trump voters and win their support, especially if she was running head-to-head against another Democrat.

“So you don’t need them to win,” Watts asked Porter.

“I feel like this is unnecessarily controversial,” Porter said, prompting the reporter to point out that she had asked the same question to other candidates in the race and they answered it.

“I don’t want to keep doing it, I’ll call it,” Porter said.

When Watts reminded Porter that all the candidates had answered the question, Porter said, “I don’t care.”

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Meanwhile, Porter has also faced repeated criticism over the way she treats employees. In just one week, three videos of Porter berating her employees went viral.

The California governor’s race is crowded, featuring big names like former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was reportedly planning to participate but ultimately backed out.

Lesser-known candidates include Public Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond, former Comptroller Betty Yee and former Assemblyman Ian Calderon.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.