Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton criticized Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the company’s $1 million donation to Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra.

Hilton said that he knows that Zuckerberg and Meta executives believe Becerra would be “a disaster” for the state’s businesses and economy, but donated the money anyway.

The Republican characterized the payment as an effort to secure favorable treatment, alleging corporations are paying for “protection money” under California’s ruling political establishment.

Hilton criticized Zuckerberg for allegedly seeking “Meta carve-outs” from a potential one-party government.

“The sad thing is that your business may be one of the few that can continue to operate here, and you may be one of the few that can afford to live here!,” he wrote, addressing the Meta CEO.

Hilton warned that continued Democratic rule could hurt businesses and make California unaffordable for most people. “The business exodus of recent years could turn into a stampede,” he wrote.

Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.

I know for a fact that Mark Zuckerberg and senior executives at Meta think Becerra would be a disaster for California's business climate and economy.

But they just gave Becerra $1 million anyway. This is the level of corruption in California after 16 years of one party rule.…

— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 29, 2026

Meta-Backed PAC Donates $1 Million to Becerra

The allegation followed a New York Post report that a Meta-backed super political action committee (PAC) had made a last-minute $1 million contribution to Becerra’s California gubernatorial campaign. The report described the money as coming from a super PAC backed by Zuckerberg, placing the contribution in the final stretch of the campaign. 

Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (META) California donated nearly $1 million to Xavier Becerra’s campaign in five installments between Oct. 20 and 27, bringing its total contributions to more than $2.2 million, the report stated, citing campaign finance records.

Xavier Becerra, former HHS Secretary under the Biden administration, is running against Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed California Governor Gavin Newsom.

California’s Regulatory Impact on Big Tech

California’s gubernatorial race matters to the tech industry because the state can shape regulations on AI, social media, and other sectors where major companies like Meta operate.

Last week, Meta agreed to grant Zuckerberg non-voting shares that he could sell to cover a potential multibillion-dollar California billionaire wealth tax, in exchange for an eight-year commitment to remain in the state or wherever Meta is headquartered. The arrangement would allow Zuckerberg to retain voting control while potentially selling shares to meet the tax bill if voters approve Proposition 40. Meta’s board committee said keeping Zuckerberg in leadership is critical amid intensifying AI competition.

Price Action: Year-to-date, Meta’s stock has declined about 7%, as per Benzinga Pro. The stock fell about 1.6% on Friday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Disclaimer:This article represents the opinion of the author only. It does not represent the opinion of Webull, nor should it be viewed as an indication that Webull either agrees with or confirms the truthfulness or accuracy of the information. It should not be considered as investment advice from Webull or anyone else, nor should it be used as the basis of any investment decision.