Named One of Worst Governors

In April 2010, the nonprofit watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) included California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in its report titled “The Nation’s 11 Worst Governors.” The report evaluated state leaders across the United States based on ethics concerns, transparency issues, and alleged misconduct, highlighting cases where governors were accused of abusing power or failing to uphold public accountability standards. CREW cited several issues related to Schwarzenegger’s administration, including the use of state resources, fundraising practices, and concerns about transparency in decision making. The report grouped him with other governors from different states who were facing criticism or investigations at the time. CREW stated that its aim was to draw attention to patterns of behavior that raised ethical questions rather than to provide legal judgments. At the time of the report’s release, Schwarzenegger was serving his second term as California governor, having been re-elected in 2006. His administration responded to criticism from watchdog groups and media scrutiny on various policy and governance issues throughout his tenure. The CREW report contributed to broader public discussion about ethics and accountability in state government leadership during that period.