Critics urge an investigation into the “crooked deal” after Newsom’s minimum wage exemption benefits a donor, sparking uproar.

Republican senators have called for an investigation and expressed indignation against Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom for granting a peculiar exemption to the state’s $20 minimum wage bill that favors one of his contributors.


According to reports, Newsom advocated for an exemption that keeps paying staff members the current $16 per hour at restaurants that bake and sell bread on its own. According to Bloomberg’s initial report on Wednesday, billionaire Greg Flynn, a frequent contributor to Newsom, may be able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars at his dozen Panera Bread franchise stores throughout California as a result of the unusual carve-out.

The state’s senior Republican lawmaker has already called for an investigation into the action.