California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly accused the U.S. Department of Justice of investigating his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and a former chief of staff, Dana Williamson. In a Monday video, Newsom said federal agents had knocked on the doors of family members, friends and former employees, claiming investigators were not looking for crime but simply trying to locate him.
According to a source familiar with the matter, several investigations have been underway for about a year, reportedly originating from California. The inquiries involve the governor’s wife’s tax returns and one involving a former chief of staff whose identity was not specified by Newsom. The source added that the investigations were driven by whistleblowers and government contacts, and denied any involvement by former President Donald Trump.
Newsom framed the investigations as political persecution tied to speculation that he might run for the White House in 2028. He described himself as “on Trump’s hit list” and accused the former president of corruption, insisting “we have nothing to hide.”
The article notes a recent pattern of Department of Justice probes into prominent Trump critics. Cases against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and other political adversaries show a broader context of investigations that have been framed in political terms. The DOJ has also dropped probes that could affect the approval of Trump’s nominees, such as the investigation of former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
While Newsom’s office asserted that allegations of wrongdoing against his former chief of staff were unrelated to him, prosecutors have charged Dana Williamson with bank fraud, wire fraud, false tax return, and false statements. She pleaded guilty in May, though the case did not implicate Newsom himself or his campaign.
