California Democrats reportedly redirected $370 million, which was initially allocated for substance abuse programs, towards left-wing voting initiatives, according to the watchdog group CALDOGE.
Jenny Rae Le Roux, accompanied by Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton—who is also a Fox News contributor—announced the findings from CALDOGE. She stated that the nonprofit Elevate Youth had diverted $370 million in state cannabis tax revenue, intended for substance abuse programs, to voter mobilization efforts.
“Elevate Youth is innocently named,” Le Roux said. “It is anything but innocent.”
Le Roux is the Republican cousin of Democrat Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and is running to represent California in the U.S. House, according to Fox News.
Videos of the announcement went viral on X:
🚨 HOLY CRAP. California Democrats have been exposed for passing a Soros-backed ballot measure for "substance abuse…"
…then using $370 MILLION of the funds raised from the measure to REGISTER VOTERS, and it benefitted Democrats
This is CRIMINAL!pic.twitter.com/IWOXF874w5
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 12, 2026
When California voters legalized marijuana in 2016 with Proposition 64, they set aside millions of dollars for youth substance abuse prevention. At the time, left-wing billionaire George Soros backed the campaign, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“My question was, ‘Is this where the $370 million in tax funds is going?’” Le Roux said. “A few organizations in the mix are legitimate. Detailed analysis by our team, going line by line and grant by grant, found that most are not.”
Overall, the recipients of funding focused on “social justice youth development,” civic engagement, and “power building” – not explicitly substance abuse prevention, according to Le Roux.
“Gavin Newsom and the career politicians running the legislature aren’t even trying to hide it,” she added. “He’s openly passing millions of dollars in behested payments, saying we want no insight, no oversight, and no control over these, to build the Democrat voter machine.”
Elevation Youth, in particular, had allegedly been distributing funds through more than 500 “micro-grants” with an average size of $700,000, according to Le Roux. Examples reportedly include $1 million to the left-leaning youth mobilization group “Young Invincibles,” $1 million to the “Punjabi Sikh” nonprofit “Jakara Movement,” and $800,000 to the left-wing group Asian Refugees United.
“In 16 years of one-party rule, there has been no accountability in Sacramento,” Le Roux said.
Le Roux asked whistleblowers to contact CALDOGE through a tip form at Califraud.com. The website is backed by Hilton’s campaign for governor.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “This has to stop.”
After President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, he appointed Elon Musk to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. As The Dallas Express reported at the time, Musk axed billions in federal waste while with the group. But in November 2025, federal officials disbanded the group eight months early, saying other departments absorbed its duties.
In April 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation inspired by DOGE, creating a Texas Department of Government Efficiency, as DX reported.
