End Citizens United (ECU) today filed a complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Steve Garvey, candidate for U.S. Senate in California. The complaint centers on Garvey’s failure to file an accurate and complete personal financial disclosure report, as is required by federal law.
“Steve Garvey is deliberately deceiving California voters by concealing his financial interests,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Voters deserve full transparency about his financial dealings in order to identify any conflicts of interest and get a better picture of what he stands to gain in the U.S. Senate. Refusing to provide a complete and truthful personal financial disclosure report is not just a blatant violation of the law but a betrayal of public trust. We urge the Department of Justice to investigate Steve Garvey and hold him accountable.”
The complaint lays out four different areas of Garvey violating federal law and Senate Ethics rules: 1) Failure to disclose any honoraria payments, even though Garvey received payments for appearances in 2023; 2) Failure to report earned income from Cameo; 3) Failure to disclose positions; and 4) Failure to report any assets from his spouse or any bank accounts.
Garvey also has a history of shady financial practices and hiding sources of income. This includes dodging child support payments by placing his assets under his wife’s name, owing up to $750,000 in back taxes, accruing over 40 tax liens totaling $3.85 million, and a property tax scheme in which an organization run by a family member covers his property taxes.
The Complaint:
- Federal law requires candidates to file annual personal financial disclosure statements.
- The personal financial disclosure statements must include (1) all earned income in excess of $200 received during the preceding calendar year and current calendar year through the date of filing; (2) all assets and unearned income sources with a fair market value in excess of $1,000 at the close of the reporting period or from which the filer or their spouse received unearned income in excess of $200; (3) any position held on or before the date of filing during the calendar year of filing, and for individuals reporting for the first time, during the two-year period preceding that calendar year; and (4) all personal savings accounts aggregating in excess of $5,000.
- On Part 1 of his PFD, Mr. Garvey answered “No” to the question “[d]id any individual or organization pay you or your spouse more than $200, or donate any amount to a charity on your or your spouse’s behalf, for an article, speech, or appearance?” Yet, it has been reported that Mr. Garvey gave at least seven meet-and-greets and speeches in 2023 that were not campaign events.
- Three of the event organizers confirmed that they paid Mr. Garvey for his appearance, and the other four organizers either did not respond to a news reporter’s request or declined to comment. According to the news report, Mr. Garvey made appearances at multiple casinos and conferences for compensation. At least one event organizer confirmed that he paid Mr. Garvey $5,000 for an appearance at a memorabilia shop.
- On Part 2 of his PFD, Mr. Garvey reported $121,874 in earned income from various sources in 2023 through February 2, 2024.
- Mr. Garvey did not include any income from the website “Cameo” on his 2024 PFD. Cameo is a website where individuals pay celebrities to create a personalized video message for a fee. According to a review of Mr. Garvey’s Cameo profile, at least 32 users left reviews in 2023 for Mr. Garvey’s video messages. Mr. Garvey sold his video messages for $149 per video.
- On Part 3 of his PFD, Mr. Garvey did not report any bank or personal savings accounts for himself or his wife. Mr. Garvey also did not report any assets for his wife.
- It was previously reported that Mr. Garvey was a “brand ambassador” for Kadenwood, Inc. and, as part of his brand ambassadorship, he was an investor in the company. Mr. Garvey’s investment in Kadenwood, Inc. was not included on Part 3 of his PFD.
- On Part 8 of his PFD, Mr. Garvey answered “No” to the question “Did you hold any reportable outside positions during the reporting period?” Yet, Mr. Garvey appeared to hold several positions in 2023 and 2024.
- In 2024, Mr. Garvey was a “brand ambassador” for Kadenwood, Inc.
- In 2023, Mr. Garvey’s website referenced “his position as President of Garvey Management Group.”
- In 2023, Mr. Garvey was listed as a member of UCLA Neurosurgery Board of Advisors.
- In 2024, Mr. Garvey was listed as a Member of Major League Baseball’s Baseball Assistance Team.
- In 2024, Mr. Garvey was listed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fans for the Cure.
Click here to read the full complaint.
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