Chris Kelly (D)
Jerry Brown (D)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-An executive at the social networking site Facebook who wants to be California's next attorney general has given his campaign $2 million, the Democrat said Tuesday.
Facebook's chief privacy officer, Chris Kelly, is among six Democrats vying to succeed Jerry Brown as the Golden State's chief legal officer. Brown is widely expected to make a run for governor, a post he held nearly three decades ago.
Kelly, 39, said in a statement that he has experience in both government and the private sectors.
He served as a policy advisor to President Bill Clinton before graduating from Harvard Law School. He was a clerk for a federal judge in San Diego, and then joined the Palo Alto law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati. He started with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook Inc. in 2005, when the new company had only about two dozen employees.
"I am running for attorney general to bring my experience in law, public policy and business to find innovative ways to make California safer - reducing crime and reforming our broken government," Kelly said. "The contribution I have made to my campaign will enable us to build a dialog with Californians across this state about crime, consumer protection and government."
Kelly said he made his contribution in the latest reporting period, which ended Dec. 31.
The cash infusion will surely help him compete with the other Democratic candidates for attorney general, including Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico of Newark, Assemblyman Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara, Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Tom Harman of Huntington Beach is the only declared candidate, while Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley says he is considering a run.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.