Politics
Newsom Taps Former Spokesperson Nate Ballard for State Historical Commission, Days After Appointing His Domestic Violence Case Supporter
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Nate Ballard, his former spokesperson who pleaded no contest to domestic violence and child endangerment charges in 2021, to the State Historical Resources Commission. A day earlier, he named Michela Alioto-Pier, who wrote a letter supporting Ballard during his prosecution and later resigned from a party sexual assault committee over the backlash, to the California Citizens Compensation Commission.
SACRAMENTO â In the final weeks of his administration, Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed his former spokesperson Nate Ballard to the State Historical Resources Commission, and a day earlier named a former San Francisco supervisor who publicly supported Ballard during his domestic violence prosecution to a separate state panel.
The appointments, announced Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, place both figures on commissions that do not require state Senate confirmation. Michela Alioto-Pier will serve on the California Citizens Compensation Commission, which sets salaries for elected officials. Ballard will sit on the State Historical Resources Commission, which reviews nominations for historic registers and sets preservation and rehabilitation standards for historic properties.
Ballard, who handled communications for Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, was charged in connection with a 2020 domestic violence incident in Napa. He was accused of drunkenly shoving his wife's head into a glass door and holding a pillow over his 4-year-old daughter. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors â domestic violence and child endangerment â and was sentenced to four years of probation.
Alioto-Pier was among several prominent city leaders, including former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, who wrote letters backing Ballard during the prosecution. Farrell's letter sparked controversy during his 2024 mayoral campaign. In April 2024, Alioto-Pier stepped down from the San Francisco Democratic Party's newly formed committee on sexual assault amid public backlash over her advocacy for Ballard.
The sequence of appointments â Alioto-Pier receiving her post one day before Ballard â is likely to draw scrutiny, given the governor's long professional ties to Ballard and the sensitivity surrounding domestic violence cases in California politics. Neither appointment requires legislative review, meaning lawmakers will have no formal opportunity to question the selections.
The compensation commission Alioto-Pier joins has direct influence over the pay of state elected officials, including the governor and legislators. The historical resources panel Ballard joins plays a role in designating and protecting California's historic places, a function that can affect local preservation battles across the state.
Newsom, who is term-limited, leaves office in January. His administration has not publicly commented on the appointments beyond the standard announcements.