A Democrat congressional candidate who’s dating a billionaire allegedly fudged his Navy record to boost his campaign.
Attention on California congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, who’s dating billionaire Qualcomm heiress Rep. Sara Jacobs, began to mount after he posted a promotional message to Facebook depicting himself in his military uniform:
Giving back to my country and community has been my life’s mission — as a U.S. Navy Officer, educator, union member, and…
Posted by Ammar Campa-Najjar on Sunday, March 8, 2026
There was just one problem.
“Campa-Najjar received a direct commission as a restricted line officer in the US Navy Reserves in 2023, and is currently an Ensign, the lowest commissioned officer rank in the Navy,” according to LaPrensa.
But in his Facebook post, Campa-Najjar didn’t mention that he’s in the Reserves — instead, he appeared to portray himself as a Navy officer. This was a violation.
Section 4.3.1 of Department of War Directive Directive 1344.10 states explicitly that “Members not on active duty who are nominees or candidates for the offices…may use or mention, or permit the use or mention of, their military rank or grade and military service affiliation; BUT they must clearly indicate their retired or reserve status.”
In addition, Section 4.3.2.1 says that members may not “use or allow the use of photographs…of themselves in uniform as the primary graphic representation in any campaign media.”
This isn’t a one-time thing for him either.
“On his website and social media Campa-Najjar regularly refers to himself as a ‘Navy Officer’ — omitting his status in the Navy Reserve,” according to station KPBS.
He’s also identified as an officer on X:
Giving back to my country and community has been my life’s mission — as a U.S. Navy Officer, educator, union member, and Obama Administration official representing working families like mine.
I’m the proud son of a working-class Latina who raised me on her own. At 16, I worked… pic.twitter.com/L2qpab58kI
— Ammar Campa-Najjar (@ACampaNajjar) March 8, 2026
His campaign manager, Andi McNew, has denied that he did anything wrong, telling KPBS that the allegations against him are “unfounded.”
“Ammar has been compliant with directives on permissible political activity,” McNew swore. “The Navy has not requested any changes be made.”
To Campa-Najjar’s credit, his campaign website has since been updated. But critics say it’s not enough.
“There’s a reason why I say I did almost 10 years and the last two was as a reservist,” 10-year Navy veteran Mark Ball said. “The general public’s not going to know the difference, but the veterans or military community will know the difference.”
“His page, his campaign, everything kind of makes it sound like he’s active duty Navy or was active duty Navy when the reality is as far from it as possible. Just be honest about your service,” he added.
Even Brian VanRiper, a Marine veteran and Democratic campaign consultant who reportedly did veteran outreach for former President Barack Obama, cried foul.
“There’s a matter of integrity,” he said. “Veterans can immediately smell this out quickly. It’s just not worth the reputational harm to ever exaggerate one’s service. If you’re running for office, I would advise persons to be ultra careful, ultra conservative in how they describe things.”
If only this were Campa-Najjar’s only faux pas. According to the New York Post, he’s also been accused of using a deceased Korean War veteran’s gravesite at the Massachusetts National Cemetery as a campaign prop.
McNew told the Post that Campa-Najjar didn’t know the veteran but took a photo anyway while “participating in an official Memorial Day event where he, alongside his unit, honored fallen service members.”
“At no point did the campaign engage in political activity at a VA cemetery, and any suggestion otherwise is a misrepresentation of both the facts and the applicable rules,” McNew added.
But again, critics have doubts.
“All these allegations are damning and show a complete disregard for what military service and wearing the uniform should mean,” Army combat veteran Michael Malach said.
“Shame on Campa-Najjar and anyone who supported these cynical political stunts, especially using posed portraits at a deceased veteran’s grave to try and boost his campaign,” he continued.
“I supported Ammar in the past, but won’t again,” Elizabeth Perez-Rodriguez, a former California state official and Navy combat veteran, added in a statement.
“As a combat veteran, I can’t stand when political candidates exploit the uniform for politics, and using a veteran’s gravesite in your campaign is toxic and disrespectful,” she concluded.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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