On Monday evening, news broke that California Governor Gavin Newsom blamed President Donald Trump for an investigation focused on himself, his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the rest of his administration.
Gov. Gavin Newsom accused President Trump on Monday of directing the US Department of Justice to investigate him, his wife, and other family members as an act of political retaliation as he considers a run for president in 2028.But a source familiar with the matter told The Post that the Newsom administration is facing multiple investigations, touching on accusations of public corruption that stretch back at least a year into himself, wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, as well as former and even current staff.The US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California is also specifically probing allegations brought forward by California whistleblowers regarding Newsom’s wife’s taxes as well as his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and potentially some current staff, the source said.A second source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Post that the case is being handled by the East District US Attorney Eric Grant — who declined comment — and they suggested that Newsom’s announcement could have been motivated by concerns over who investigators have already contacted.
However, a more robust review of the timeline reveals that the investigation’s roots date back to Biden. Politico, hardly a right-wing bastion of news, provides some background on Gov. Newsom’s former Chief of Staff, Dana Williamson. Williams left her position with Newsom in late 2024.
But a person familiar with the matter said the government has been investigating Newsom’s orbit for roughly a year. Investigations run out California’s eastern district and originating with whistleblower tips have focused, respectively, on the first partner’s taxes and on Newsom’s former chief of staff and potentially current aides, the person said.Internal Revenue Service agents have joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in making inquiries, according to the Newsom administration, underscoring the likelihood that Siebel Newsom’s finances are a target of the federal inquiry.
A deeper dive into the timeline reveals a 2022 investigation start date, which is clearly long before the start of Trump’s second term.
“As part of an investigation that began in 2022, Williamson joins the two others who were charged in the ‘Conduit Scheme’ conspiracy in pleading guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “These conspirators, three of whom are former public officials, shockingly looted campaign funds for personal benefit. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue working to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that those who scorn the law are held accountable.”
Interestingly, especially given Newsom’s dramatic statements, his former chief of staff pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. This development occurred last month.
Williamson was originally charged with 23 federal counts.Among the charges, she was accused of co-conspiring in a scheme to steal about $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra.At the time, he was serving as the US Health and Human Services Secretary under President Biden.Williamson faces a maximum sentence that includes up to 30 years in prison on the conspiracy charge, including a fine of $1 million.
Newsom’s claims of political retaliation smack of getting ahead of the story, which is very likely to be forthcoming. California’s hapless governor has also made a “Hail Mary” move by submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which looks less like a reaction to a sudden bombshell and more like a calculated effort to spin and pre‑empt forthcoming developments.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to the Department of Justice seeking any and all communications between top officials that use the terms “Gavin Newsom,” “Jennifer Siebel Newsom,” or “Newsom.”“My office is demanding the Trump Administration release any and all records on the Trump DOJ’s politically motivated, baseless fishing expedition.“The American people deserve to know who ordered this abuse of power and how far it goes,” Newsom wrote on X Monday, sharing the letter he sent to the Trump administration making a Freedom of Information Act request.A FOIA request is a written demand made under the Freedom of Information Act, a federal law that gives any person the right to access records from executive branch agencies of the U.S. government.
It remains uncertain what, if anything, the investigations will ultimately substantiate, and the scope or implications are still unfolding.
However, based on the emerging timeline, which clearly shows inquiries predating Trump’s current term and involving multiple agencies and prior conduct,it appears more likely that Newsom will continue framing the situation as political retaliation rather than engaging the substance of the allegations, positioning Trump as the central antagonist regardless of what further details come to light.
In other words, Newsom’s entire defense is likely to be “Orange Man Bad”.
We’ll see how it plays out for him.
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