The California Governor’s Office is defending itself from criticism after a Politico report revealed that Newsom’s office quietly hired a famed retired photographer to the tune of $200,000 per year.
This photographer was employed to take photos of Newsom and was responsible for shots of the governor surveying fire damage, visiting China, and picking up debris from homeless encampments in Los Angeles County.
Seasoned Photo Journalist
Charles Ommanney, a retired photojournalist, was paid to take high-quality images of Newsom in his role as governor overseeing the fight against wildfires and during homeless encampment cleanups.
Ommanney has previously done work for major politicians like former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
Politico Report
According to an August 9 Politico story, Newsom’s office gave Ommanney the title of “director of photography,” a job that came with a salary of $200,000 per year.
Politico reports that this makes Ommanney one of the top earners in Newsom’s administration, being close to Newsom’s own $234,101 annual salary.
Freelance to Full-Time
Ommanney’s work reportedly started in earnest for Newsom during a China trip in 2023 where he worked on a freelance basis.
Newsom upgraded his status to full-time in January and some of Ommanney’s images were used in a recent video promotion of the State of the State address.
Newsom Spokesperson Statement
In the report, Newsom spokesperson Izzay Gardon issued a statement describing the photographer as playing an “instrumental role” in communicating the work of California’s government.
“Charles plays an instrumental role in communicating the work of state government across visual platforms — including social media, helping us meet Californians where they are at,” said Gardon.
Criticized Online
After Politco broke the story, Newsom received criticism online for the photographer’s hiring. Some felt the money would be better spent elsewhere.
“Insufferable Twit,” wrote American actor James Woods in response to the story. “Gavin Newsom’s office pays famed photographer $200,000 a year. Your tax dollars hard at work,” wrote X user Sean Collins.
Pictures of Me
One X user, Kevin Dalton, pointed out the frustration that people feel when seeing the governor spending money on photographers while other problems are in the front of their minds.
“Californians: We desperately need a solution to homelessness, skyrocketing crime, high taxes, open border, bad schools, gas prices, & housing. Frankly, we are concerned you’re no longer focused on the state. Gavin Newsom: Best I can do is spend $200,000 a year on pictures of me,” Dalton wrote in an X post.
Defending the Position
Since news broke of the photographer’s salary and backlash swirled online, Newsom’s office has defended the hiring, highlighting that Newsom did not have a photographer for a long time.
“Unlike nearly all of his predecessors and gubernatorial counterparts, the real story here is that Governor Newsom did not have a dedicated photographer for over five years. We’re thrilled that changed when Charles joined our team,” said the Governor’s Office.
Effective Communication
Gardon argues that Newsom’s use of the photojournalist fulfills a commitment that the governor has to keep in touch with the public effectively.
“Charles is a retired photojournalist and his photographs of the governor are regularly used by news organizations across the state and his role is part of our broader commitment to transparent and effective communication with the public,” said Gardon.
Questions About Spending
Newsom’s critics have renewed questions about how the governor is spending the state’s tax dollars in light of the new controversy.
Earlier this year, a state audit found that California had spent $24 billion over five years on homeless programs, but failed to consistently track whether this huge spending successfully made an impact.
Price Isn’t Right
Doug Elmets, a Republican political strategist, thinks this reflects on the governor poorly, especially in light of a recent multi-billion dollar state deficit.
“Why is it that the governor feels the need to hire somebody for $200,000 to take pictures of him,” Elmets said. “That photographer should be hired as a contractor to Governor Newsom’s campaign, and there you wouldn’t have all the questions raised about taxpayer dollars.”
Caricature Artist Not Concerned
Jack Ohman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who has drawn Newsom caricatures over the years, felt that the hiring wasn’t such a big deal.
“I think Newsom is very conscious of how he comes off, how they’re projecting,” Ohman said. “I just am not cranked up enough about this to really get angry about it. State government is highly paid, and you know a lot of the time, the reason that it’s highly paid is because it’s really expensive to live in California.”
