State lawmakers reject campaign donations from Flock

Two California Assembly members recently rejected campaign contributions made to them by Flock, a controversial company that specializes in AI-powered license plate readers.

Flock made the maximum primary and general election campaign donations allowed in California, $11,800, to the campaigns of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). Both legislators chose to return the checks, signaling they do not want to be associated with Flock.

POLITICO first reported the donations on March 13, after both campaigns filed mandated disclosures saying they had received contributions. Quickly after getting the checks, though, the campaigns returned the money.

Flock manufactures and operates around 90,000 cameras nationwide for license plate recognition and video surveillance. The company has been under public scrutiny over data sharing with federal authorities, including immigration enforcement. 

Wicks returned the money due to these concerns over Flock’s cooperation with ICE and general privacy concerns surrounding the company, according to David Beltran, a campaign strategist for Wicks.

“Rivas for Assembly 2026 will not accept campaign contributions from Flock,” said Elizabeth Ashford, a strategist for the Rivas campaign. “The contribution that was issued was not deposited and the original check is being mailed back to the company.”

Flock’s website says it does not work directly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but records obtained by the independent outlet 404 Media show local law enforcement officers have often independently reviewed Flock data and shared it with federal agencies.

A class action lawsuit recently filed in Oakland claims Flock has been sharing information on California drivers caught with its license plate readers with the federal government, which is a violation of California’s privacy laws. The lawsuit also alleges the San Francisco Police Department's database was searched by out-of-state agencies over 1.6 million times in a seven-month period.

The campaign donations come at an interesting time, as legislators are reviewing various bills that have been lobbied by Flock. Some of those bills have to do with data-sharing and putting limitations on what police departments can do with data collected from license plate readers and surveillance.

Rivas, as Speaker of the Assembly, is a powerful figure in the state legislature. His support and opposition to bills can often be make-or-break.

Wicks is the chair of the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee, which reviews every bill that has a fiscal impact on the state and ultimately decides which bills move forward to the Assembly floor to be voted on. She is also a member of the Privacy and Consumer Safety Committee, which deals with privacy and the protection of personal information.