California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom went out of his way Tuesday to defend Prince Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation amid a scandal over the late payment of a $200 filing fee, something officials say has been resolved.
Newsom, considered by many to be a shining light in American liberal politics, spoke at an event in the crime-ridden Bay Area promoting a $3.3 billion investment in mental health care.
But the governor made the unusual decision to go off-script and stand up for the couple, following the recent row over the Archewell Foundation calling the charity’s work “extraordinary.”
“I want people to know that not only are they following the rules, but it’s also a technical paperwork issue that is wildly overhyped,” he said.
MailOnline previously reported that the foundation had fallen into arrears in the state of California, where it was registered in 2021, due to failure to pay the filing fee. It was later claimed that the check had been lost in the mail.
However, new data shows that the payment was delivered on time, but not processed. The reason for this is unclear.
California Governor Gavin Newsom took time out of his event promoting a massive new investment in mental health care to defend the Archewell Foundation
“I just want people to know that not only are they following the rules, but it’s a technical paperwork issue that is wildly overhyped,” he said.
Prince Harry and Meghan pictured during their recent visit to Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games
As of Tuesday, the foundation is in “good standing” with the state of California, the attorney general’s office said Tuesday.
“We have carefully investigated the situation and can confirm that the Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing,” the charity said in a statement.
“Payments due were made promptly and in accordance with IRS processes and procedures. In addition, all necessary paperwork was submitted by the Foundation without errors or misconduct.”
The governor would promote his new initiative to address California’s mental health crisis.
These comments were followed by a swipe at the media covering the scandal. “With all due respect, I hope the people who made these headlines also make these headlines.”
Many California residents were outraged that Newsom took the time to defend the Beverly Hills charity.
“Disappointing that as governor he is wasting his time acting as a spokesperson for them and emphasizing that they have done a great job. What great work is that? On the other hand, he didn’t use her title,” one X user wrote.
“Someone offered to donate,” someone else joked. “He’s pushing his own administration under the bus when he could have just said ‘no comment,’” another commented.
“Look how the Democrats are protecting the ‘elites,'” another thought, adding that Harry and Meghan were “clearly upset enough to go to the governor and ask him to defend them.”
“I hope the people of California call him out for favoring two ex-Royals who are doing nothing. Do all its citizens get press conferences like these two?’, another X user asked.
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“He also spoke about Archewell as a “celebrated” organization, which it is not, and how much great work it does in the areas of women, girls and especially mental health, for which there is little evidence,” the comments continued.
“His attempts to shame the news media are also pretty pathetic considering the damage has already been done and no one really cares about the resolution at this point.”
Even Newsom fans were unimpressed. “I love Newsom and have no idea why he’s going to play for the Harkles,” one person said.
On May 3, a formal notice letter was sent to the Archewell Foundation stating that the charity ‘is on the delinquency list’ due to ‘failure to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees’
The foundation is separate from the couple’s Archewell media and business arms
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (pictured on a conference call from their home in October 2020) reportedly held a secret ‘introductory meeting’ with Gavin Newsom
The Sussexes took part in an hour-long virtual meeting with the Democratic governor on October 19, 2020, according to a memo obtained by The Sun (above)
The former royal couple recently returned from a visit to Nigeria that the Duchess of Sussex described as “humiliating.”
‘Never in a million years would I understand it as well as I do now. And what was repeated so often in the last day is, ‘Oh, we’re not that surprised when we found out you’re Nigerian,'” she said at the event on women in leadership
“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is courageous, resilient, courageous and beautiful.”
When the couple stepped back from royal duties and moved to the Golden State in 2020, they were treated to a secret “getting to know you” meeting with the governor.
The hour-long virtual meeting with the Democratic governor on Oct. 19, according to a memo obtained by The sun.
It’s not clear what was discussed during the meeting with Newsom’s office, in which the office said it does not comment on “the content of meetings between the governor and private parties or his staff.”
At the time, the presidential election was just two weeks away and Newsom was facing increasing calls to field a woman of color to replace then-California Senator Kamala Harris if she were elected vice president.
Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior Royals effective March 2020, but part of their agreement with Buckingham Palace was that “everything they do will uphold Her Majesty’s values.”
Hammered by mounting pressure, Newsom announced Tuesday that his administration will make $3.3 billion available ahead of schedule to counties and private developers to start building more behavioral health treatment centers as part of his efforts to expand housing and substance use disorder programs to fund.
It’s the first pot of money from a ballot measure designed to help cities, counties, tribes and developers build or renovate treatment centers and clinics, among other things.
Voters passed it by a razor-thin margin in March, after Newsom threw all his political weight behind it and touted it as the cornerstone of the state’s efforts to reduce homelessness.
It authorizes the state to borrow nearly $6.4 billion to build 4,350 homes and requires counties to spend two-thirds of the money from a tax on millionaires on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illness or substance abuse.
Applications for the money will open in July.