CNN looks into Katie Porter’s unsubstantiated claim that Steyer leaked the staff video

California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter was tested for truth Monday after she accused her rival Tom Steyer of leaking a damaging video and warned that Xavier Becerra could pose a threat to Democrats in the wild primary.

During an interview on CNN’s “Inside Politics,” Porter told host Dana Bash: “Well, since Tom Steyer is the person who leaked this video of me and his staff five years ago, he clearly wanted to be governor so badly that he could take me down to do it.”

Bash closed the interview by saying that CNN did not verify Porter’s claim about Steyer.

“I must point out that we have no evidence that Steyer leaked that video of yours,” said Bash. “If you have one, please bring it.”

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Porter alleges that Steyer’s campaign is responsible for the leak of a video of him mocking an employee, saying he was told the footage came from the Department of Energy.

Steyer’s campaign spokesman Sepi Esfahlani denied that after the interview and told Fox News Digital that Porter was trying to divert attention from his own controversies.

“Tom had nothing to do with that video,” said Esfahlani. “This is Katie Porter’s attempt to deviate from her past mistakes. Katie Porter has only one person to blame for her position in the race, and that is herself.”

EX-BIDEN’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF NO CONFIDENCE IN LEADING DEM COUNCIL TO BE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA.

Dana Bash tested Katie Porter’s veracity after the former congresswoman alleged, without evidence, that Tom Steyer leaked a damaging video involving a former staffer. (Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic)

Porter also used the interview to attack Becerra, the former US Health and Human Services secretary and California attorney general, over an unresolved corruption investigation involving his former campaign account.

“The plain truth is that Secretary Becerra will not promise the people of California that he will not be exposed as an accomplice in this corruption case,” Porter said.

Bash pressed Porter on Becerra’s denials, noting that he has said “many times” that he did nothing wrong. “Are you saying you don’t believe that’s true?” Bash asked.

Porter said the issue is still too clear for voters to ignore.

“I don’t have the facts here, but the people who are currently negotiating deals in Sacramento do,” he said. “And if they indict him, I have no doubt that he will be indicted.”

Porter argued that California Democrats could not nominate a candidate who might be harmed in the long run by a formal fallout.

“If he’s there, and the top two are him and Steve Hilton, we’re going to meet a Republican governor,” he added.

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter. (Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Becerra told Fox News Digital that Porter’s claims are false and that federal investigators are looking into the matter.

“Katie Porter is clutching at grass,” the spokesperson said. “The FBI looked into this and found no wrongdoing by Xavier Becerra.”

Bash concluded by giving Becerra a chance to respond.

“He said some very harsh things about Xavier Becerra,” Bash said. “If he wants to come back to the show, he’s welcome to do that.”

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Xavier Becerra speaks during CBS Television Stations’ California Gubernatorial Debate on April 28, 2026, in Claremont, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images for CBS Television)

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California’s top-two system sends the top two vote-getters to November regardless of party affiliation. With twice as many Democrats as Republicans, Democrats risk being locked in a jungle primary.