California Health Officer Helped A London-Based Company And Walked On Its Dime | KQED

Federal records show Kooth paid about $100,000 this year to the Capital Advocacy firm. At the same time, Ewing’s emails and calendars show that he insisted that Kooth’s money be kept. For example, his calendar for June 4 shows that he was scheduled to meet with Laura Tully, the CEO of Kooth USA, at a coffee shop near the Capitol.

The next day, the whistleblower said, Ewing met with key Senate staff: Scott Ogus, deputy staff director of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, and Marjorie Swartz, adviser to Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire. They said Ewing also discussed Kooth’s contract that week with Rosielyn Pulmano, a health policy adviser for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.

“Toby kept saying ‘California has to have a digital strategy,'” recalled Whistler, who attended both meetings. He continued to pressure Marjorie and Scott, saying he would give them ideas to improve the stage.

Ewing emailed the ideas to legal aides on June 10 and 12.

About two weeks later, he and the commissioners left for a seven-day trip to the UK According to documents filed with the National Political Action Commission, receipts and emails reviewed by KFF Health News, Kooth covered the cost of four-star hotels. , food, train tickets, and international flights.

Disclosure forms show Kooth paid the costs of Ewing, Madrigal-Weiss, and Brown. The forms do not show which company paid for the Carnevale trip.

Under California law, state officials generally must report travel payments to the FPPC, which Ewing and his fellow commissioners did.

Kooth postponed a mental health investment conference in London in June, emails and documents show, but scheduled new events for California commissioners to attend.

On May 23, Newhouse informed Carnevale and Ewing via email that Kooth needed to postpone the planned June event. Carnevale, the trade commissioner, described the news as “disappointing for everyone,” especially “because we have already booked trips, including members of the Commissioners’ families who were planning to change this holiday .”

Accepting the interruption, Newhouse told Carnevale that he “would like to think creatively about whether we could try to organize a meeting where you can talk about CYBHI,” referring to Newsom’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative.

He wrote: “However, I know from our conversation, that we should talk about the ‘plan’ of your trip, and we don’t know for sure if it is possible or not.

Curran, Kooth’s spokesman, said the company “engages in the exchange of knowledge between representatives of international policy centers, research foundations and non-profit organizations.”

Madrigal-Weiss defended the trip, which she said included meetings with “members of government, service providers, education and finance” who shared ideas for “improving funding for mental health needs” through private partnerships and charity.

One of the investors said most of the commissioners back in California didn’t know about the trip until their colleagues were halfway around the world. Sami Gallegos, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Health and Human Services, said the Department of Health Services was not participating in the trip.

Ewing was placed on leave ahead of Kooth’s rescheduled meeting this month in London.

While it’s not uncommon for government officials to travel overseas — often on behalf of private corporations — it doesn’t look good, said Sean McMorris, a government policy expert with California Common Cause, a civil rights group. non-profits.

“It looks like an undue influence,” McMorris said. “I think a lot of people would look at something like this as a way to have fun. You can connect the dots.”

Kooth has also offered to visit state officials in Pennsylvania, where he has a $3 million contract with 30 school districts. At each event, Kooth asked officials to speak to highlight their work. . Pennsylvania notified Kooth that it intended to terminate the contract.