{"id":338840,"date":"2026-05-30T07:55:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T07:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/338840\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T07:55:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T07:55:20","slug":"ethics-complaint-targets-mai-vang-over-scholarship-donations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/338840\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethics complaint targets Mai Vang over scholarship donations"},"content":{"rendered":"

A former Sacramento City Unified School District president filed \u2014 and now plans to rescind \u2014 an ethics complaint against city Councilmember Mai Vang, alleging she may not have contributed corporate donations towards a scholarship fund<\/a> as she recently claimed.<\/p>\n

Jay Hansen filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission Thursday naming Vang, a progressive who first joined the city council in 2020 and who is now challenging Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, in next week\u2019s primary.<\/p>\n

Vang told The Sacramento Bee last week that she had directed about $10,000 from small businesses, PG&E and local casinos from her 2020 and 2024 council campaigns to the Heart and Hustle Scholarship<\/a>, a fund for low-income students run through her city council 8th District office.<\/p>\n

The Bee reviewed Vang\u2019s local filings dating back to her initial election in 2020, which showed that her campaign donated $9,000 between 2023 and 2025 to Sacramento nonprofit Gifts To Share<\/a>, which allows people to earmark donations to the Heart and Hustle Scholarship via its website.<\/p>\n

Vang said all campaign contributions were properly recorded. In a statement, she claimed Hansen was acting on Matsui\u2019s behalf, and resorting to the \u201cmost cynical of tactics\u201d by targeting a fund for low-income students in an \u201cact of desperation\u201d days before the primary.<\/p>\n

Hansen, who is now the president of a San Francisco environmental think tank<\/a>, said he initially supported Vang in her run for school board. The two served together on the board from 2016 to 2018; it\u2019s unclear if he has any connection to Matsui beyond supporting her reelection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked with (Vang) and was disappointed with her inability to make decisions and move us forward. She quickly ran for council and couldn\u2019t wait to leave the hard work behind,\u201d Hansen said in a text message. \u201cShe has not helped the city make progress either and spends her time on performative stunts instead of legislating. And now she wants an even bigger seat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hansen asked the FPPC to open an investigation and determine whether Vang violated the state Political Reform Act, which could carry fines. After The Bee found the record of her donations in Vang\u2019s campaign finance reporting, Hansen said he would be withdrawing the complaint.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s still a dud, but I want to be accurate and accountable,\u201d Hansen said.<\/p>\n

Hansen and Vang were on opposing sides of a 2024 controversy over former school board candidate RoLanda Wilkins. Wilkins made offensive comments about Latino immigrants and called for violence against politicians like Kamala Harris, calling them \u201cfake Black leaders\u201d who should be \u201ckilled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vang rescinded her support after Facebook videos surfaced of Wilkins making those remarks; Hansen said he would continue to support Wilkins<\/a>, calling her \u201cthe best candidate for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vang, 40, has launched the most serious Democratic campaign in recent years to unseat Matsui, 81. Matsui first won her 7th congressional district seat in 2005, succeeding her late husband former Rep. Robert Matsui. A recent survey showed<\/a> Vang polling slightly behind Matsui, at 22% and 24%, respectively.<\/p>\n

Vang has backing from progressives ranging from the local Working Families Party to the political action organization Our Revolution. She has staked her potential victory on capitalizing upon voters\u2019 disillusionment with entrenched incumbents and has repeatedly said she will not take money from corporate political action committees.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 20 years in Congress, this is what her campaign has been reduced to: Not a record to run on, not a vision for Sacramento, not a plan to protect working families, but a frivolous attack on students trying to build a better life,\u201d Vang said. \u201cWe built this fund to open doors for young people who\u2019ve had them closed their whole lives, and no amount of political gamesmanship will stop us from fighting for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:01 PM.<\/p>\n

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said Mai Vang had received an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. That endorsement was from her 2020 Sacramento City Council run. Sanders has not endorsed her for U.S. representative.<\/p>\n

Corrected May 29, 2026<\/p>\n

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The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

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