A senior adviser to California's Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Xavier Becerra is working for his campaign while her advisory firm is simultaneously contracted by Meta's super PAC, according to an exclusive report by The Post. Courtni Pugh, a partner at Democratic advisory firm Hilltop Public Solutions, has served as a senior adviser to Becerra since at least April. Pugh previously worked for outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom and ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Meanwhile, Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (META) California, Meta’s state super PAC, has paid Hilltop Strategies at least $232,000 since September 2025, campaign finance records reviewed by The Post show. The most recent payment was $15,000 in September. Most of these payments list Hilltop’s role as "campaign consultants," with one payment attributed to reimbursement for "information technology costs."

Meta California was established to support tech-friendly candidates and advocate against strict artificial intelligence regulations. The super PAC has also made significant contributions to Becerra's gubernatorial campaign, reportedly pouring approximately $1 million into his campaign in late October, in addition to $1.2 million in May.

Hilltop partner Jeremy Van Ess stated that Pugh has no involvement in the firm's work for the META California super PAC. "It is staffed and run exclusively from an office on the other side of the country," Van Ess said in a statement. "She has had nothing to do with this engagement at any stage, and any suggestion otherwise is wrong."

The Becerra campaign and Meta declined to comment on the matter.

Pugh's political work extends beyond her role with Becerra. She has also been involved in efforts to oppose California's Proposition 39, a voter ID ballot measure, and Proposition 40, a tax measure that has faced opposition from tech leaders like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sergey Brin.

This situation arises in the context of California's history with tech industry influence. In 2024, Gov. Newsom vetoed a significant AI safety bill that Meta and Google had lobbied against.

Becerra is widely expected to win the gubernatorial race, holding a commanding lead in polls over Republican challenger Steve Hilton. His campaign previously stated that Becerra has a history of "holding corporations accountable," citing his past actions as Attorney General investigating Facebook's privacy practices.