California Governor
Newsom said in a video statement that the Trump administration is targeting him because he’s “considering running for President,” without offering specifics of the investigation.
“They are abusing the grand jury process. Digging through years and years of random documents,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean Tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President.”
The Justice Department is probing whether Newsom had any knowledge of or participated in the alleged corruption involving his former chief of staff, said a person with knowledge of the matter. Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson,
Investigators are also looking into potential tax violations by Newsom and his wife, the person said, asking not to be named discussing an ongoing investigation. The investigations, which are being run by the US attorney’s office in Sacramento, started last year, according to the person.
Representatives for the US Justice Department declined to comment. White House representatives referred questions to the Justice Department.
Newsom, who said federal agents have knocked on the doors of his family, friends and former employees, added that he welcomes any scrutiny of himself, but that targeting his wife crosses a line. Neither the governor nor Siebel Newsom have been subpoenaed, according to Newsom’s office.
“Put my name on every and any enemies’ list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta,” Newsom said of Trump.
Newsom, who’s termed out as California governor, is widely viewed as an early contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. He has raised his national profile through combative stances toward Trump, including attacks on the president’s immigration policies and his push to redraw California’s congressional maps to benefit Democrats.
Trump has pressed the Justice Department to investigate his perceived political enemies in a stark departure from the arms-length relationship that previous administrations maintained. Prosecutors have pursued cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. While both denied wrongdoing and had indictments thrown out by a judge, Comey was charged for a different alleged offense in April.
“Even if there is some legal basis for these possible charges, at this point we might infer that the evidence is extremely weak,” Stanford Law School Professor Robert Weisberg said, “And that Trump is simply enjoying the intimidation he likes to inflict on Democrats by threatening charges.”
The president has repeatedly lashed out at Newsom, deriding him as “Newscum,” and in January said, without offering details, that a “fraud investigation” of California had begun. Trump has also previously called for Newsom’s arrest.
Siebel Newsom, who uses the title California first partner, is a documentary filmmaker whose work has examined the impacts of social media on young men and sexism. She has also faced scrutiny from conservative critics and watchdog groups over donations to nonprofits with ties to her coming from companies with business before the state, as well as the use of her films and related educational materials in California schools.
The DOJ is investigating Siebel Newsom’s professional work and personal affairs, Newsom’s office said, including what the governor’s office considers to be lawful compensation for her work.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” Siebel Newsom said. “This is not presidential behavior, and the governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much more.”
According to state records, Newsom has solicited nearly $3.6 million in donations for Siebel Newsom’s non-profit California Partners Project, which supports gender equity in corporate boardrooms.
The DOJ also questioned Newsom’s staff on the termination of a state lawyer involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit against Activision, according to the governor’s office. The governor’s office did not hear further from federal officials, a spokesperson said.
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Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes stemming from conduct that occurred both before and during her tenure. She admitted that she falsely told FBI agents she had not passed California state government information to a former business partner regarding a former client while she was working in public office. The plea agreement does not name the client, but the allegation appears to align with a 2021 sex discrimination lawsuit filed by a state agency against Activision Blizzard Inc. A top lawyer for the state later resigned, accusing the governor’s office of interfering in the lawsuit, a claim Newsom’s office denied at the time.
(Updates with details on investigations throughout.)
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