Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom's political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir - accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide - according to campaign finance filings.
The PAC spending helped propel Newsom's memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.
In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies-representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold.
"We were thrilled with the response," Click told the New York Times. "Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom's work."
TRUMP QUESTIONS NEWSOM'S FITNESS FOR WHITE HOUSE, CITING HIS DYSLEXIA
The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
THE MOST UNUSUAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: NEWSOM IS DYSLEXIC, STRUGGLES WITH SPEECHES, REJECTS 'LIBERAL' LABEL
When asked about the book's ranking on the best seller list, a New York Times spokesperson explained the outlet places a dagger symbol on the list to indicate when a book's ranking has been influenced by a bulk purchase.
"When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book's best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger. That's what we did with the Newsom book," Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital later on Friday evening, "Governor Newsom did not do a 'bulk buy' of $1.5M worth of books to boost sales."
"The book sales through his email list were individual sales done through a new, innovative approach that allows his list to receive copies of the book early. The campaign viewed the book offer as a major list-building and engagement opportunity - one of the largest of any campaign in the country."
The spokesperson said the books were sold at cost through a vendor and that Newsom did not receive royalties on copies distributed through the program.
"Supporters were invited to give whatever amount they could afford and still receive a copy of the book. The goal was participation and engagement, not fundraising," the spokesperson continued. "The campaign's list provided an opportunity for supporters to buy the book through a vendor consistently used by other authors. Each book was sold and sent out through the vendor, similar to buying from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. In total, more than 67,000 individual sales were made through the campaign's offers."
Book promotion is common among politicians, but Newsom's PAC spending outpaces similar political committee purchases. The Republican National Committee, for example, spent about $100,000 in 2019 purchasing Donald Trump Jr.'s book, the New York Times noted in its report.
GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: FROM PRIVILEGE TO HEARTBREAK, MY LIFE BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Newsom's memoir is focused on the challenges he faced in his upbringing, addressing his battle with dyslexia and having divorced parents, as well as his political career.
Newsom's book tour, which included visiting cities across the nation, drew criticism from conservatives for the Democrat governor allegedly putting himself over leading California.
Chairwoman of the California Republican Party Corrin Rankin told Fox Digital, in response to the book campaign, she believes Newsom is trying to "rebrand his national image" while abandoning issues at home, as recent data underscores ongoing challenges in the state.
Social media commenters have not shied away from mocking Newsom over the book sales, including Republican California gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.
"Gavin Newsom's 'bestseller' memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: his PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount," Hilton posted to X on Thursday. "That's two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says 'Young Man in a Hurry' like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns."
Newsom is considered a top potential 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, though he has not confirmed whether he will officially throw his hat in the ring.
