Feds Expand Criminal Probe Into Newsom Travel, Spending
The subpoenas… seek records from the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that’s funded Newsom and his overseas travel through private donations.
Federal prosecutors have expanded their criminal investigation into Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom, issuing subpoenas for six years of records covering his international travel, outside funding, and personal expenses, including money spent on his residence and living costs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Anderson signed the subpoenas, which concern a criminal investigation in the Eastern District of California.
The subpoenas, issued in early September, seek records from the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that has funded Newsom’s overseas travel through private donations. The subpoenas are expected to produce records for a federal grand jury.
Federal investigators also want communications involving Rebecca Prowda, Newsom’s chief protocol officer, who helps oversee his foreign travel and has staffed him at events ranging from the California Hall of Fame ceremony to meetings with foreign heads of government. Prowda is married to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. She declined to comment.
Investigators also sought communications involving Steve Kawa, Jim DeBoo, Jason Elliott and campaign counsel Tom Willis. All four have longstanding ties to Newsom.
Kawa, Newsom’s former San Francisco chief of staff, now chairs the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the Protocol Foundation. DeBoo, a former Newsom executive secretary, is the foundation’s secretary. Elliott, another former deputy chief of staff, sits on both the Protocol Foundation board and the rail authority. Willis sits on the board of the California Partners Project, the nonprofit co-founded by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Records involving Siebel Newsom were also requested.
The subpoenas do not accuse anyone named in them of a crime or identify a specific alleged offense. The records sought, however, include donor information, travel expenses, personal spending, and communications with people close to the governor. The Standard reported that the requests could raise questions about improper gifts or influence peddling.
Plenty of money is up for review. Newsom has directed more than $7.5 million in outside donations to the California State Protocol Foundation since taking office, with roughly $5.1 million coming from leftover inaugural funds. Behested payments are donations that public officials solicit on behalf of outside organizations. They are legal in California but must be disclosed. Newsom has directed roughly $349 million in such payments between 2019 and 2026. The foundation ended 2024 with just $7,790 in net funds after spending nearly $600,000 more than it took in over the previous two years.
Among its donors are CVS, a Blue Shield-linked foundation, and autonomous vehicle company Zoox, all of which do business in California or operate under state rules. Other contributors include the New Venture Fund and crypto billionaire Chris Larsen. Foundations tied to Democrat megadonors Susie Tompkins Buell and Lisa Stone Pritzker have also contributed. Both women have supported Newsom politically and backed nonprofits associated with Siebel Newsom. The foundation has helped pay for Newsom’s travel to Davos, Munich, London, and China.
Newsom’s office blamed President Donald Trump for the investigation:
“Governor Newsom went after the king — and as he warned in June, the tyrant is now coming after everyone around him. This is what Donald Trump does to his enemies: investigate first, hunt for a crime that doesn’t exist second. It’s deeply upsetting to see innocent staff, friends, and family have their names dragged through the mud just because they’re associated with the Governor.”
Newsom first disclosed the investigation in June after federal agents contacted friends, former employees, and people connected to his wife’s nonprofit organizations. A person familiar with the matter told the New York Times that multiple investigations involving Newsom were underway, including one focused on Siebel Newsom’s finances. The source said federal law enforcement officials in California started the investigations, not Washington on political grounds.
Newsom tied the investigation to a possible 2028 presidential run:
“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. To get me, he’s coming after my wife.”
The September subpoenas now show what investigators are asking for: donor records, receipts, travel expenses, personal spending, and communications involving Newsom, his wife, and longtime political associates. Several of those named have also held public positions while serving with organizations tied to the spending under review. The subpoenas do not accuse any of them of wrongdoing. A federal grand jury will see whatever investigators collect.
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Follow the money and corruption and you will find the Newsom family.
Follow the Newsom family and you will find corruption involving money.
Blah, Blah. Blah
Another corrupt politician who will never see the inside of prison.
I hope Im wrong.
Newsom may actually be an honest politician: he stays bought.
Is there any such thing as an honest politician?
I was paraphrasing Heinlein. In general, all politicians, even the ones you agree with, should be viewed with suspicion.
I live in California. While it makes a good press release, the idea that this is going to be more than a show is a fantasy. Yes, it will be embarrassing to Newsom, or would be if he were capable of such. It will run up some legal bills—none of which will be paid by Newsom.
At the end of it all, nothing much will happen. The corruption in this state is far too deep and wide.
Anyone ever wonder where the train to nowhere billions have gone?
train to nowhere billions
My guess is it went to unions, lawyers, overpriced management consultants, lawyers, green groups for economical impact studies, lawyers, needed ;land purchases, connected engineering firms for planning, design, and surveying, lawyers, advertising, lawyers. All of those receiving no doubt kicked some of it back directly or indirectly to newsom, his PAC, his party, and his preferred candidates.
Did I mention lawyers?
The original company involved in the train to nowhere was owned by Dianne Feinstein’s husband, so no doubt they got their cut of it.
All State governors should be under constant scrutiny by the federal government. This would defuse the claim that any investigation is “political” insofar that no administration would have the excuse to not surveil the actions of any governor.
To those who believe this would be intrusive, I’d agree. But only after the IRS and the income tax are both abolished.
And don’t forget — every single ledger entry is a separate felony.
Newsome is quite wealthy with the assistance of the Getty family who bankrolled a lot of his businesses. He can afford to travel first class without embezzling public funds. If he didn’t use his own money then he is a bigger idiot than he has always appeared to be.
Accurate statement.
God, how I miss competent crooks. “Learing center” anyone. On a sign.
These people are acting from feelings of entitlement n invulnerability.
People like him don’t make their own travel arrangements. Although he may be wealthy, that doesn’t mean he understands anything about money.
We could potentially restrict it, at least at a federal level.
Simply get a new law passed that says that every winner of a federal election (House, Senate, Presidency/VP) must immediately put their assets into a blind trust. This trust will invest everything that they have into relatively secure investments (we could even mandate T-bills) that will give them a moderate rate of return. In addition, every single dollar that passes through their hands, or the hands of ANY account related to them, is subject to immediate and thorough audits based on a request from any citizen who can show even a glimmer of a shred of information that the income passing through those entities might have even a shadow of corruption (vote buying, etc.).
The odds of this happening are exactly nil, since the RINO’s and GOPEr’s would then have their own corruption apple-carts upset.
It used to be that serving in the House, Senate, or worse yet, the presidency was a SACRIFICE made by honest citizens in order to serve their country. It’s now a permanent sinecure (the House has a higher re-election rate than did the Soviet Politburo…they died faster) that enables endless pocket-lining. There’s an old saying in European countries that says, “Here rich people go into politics. In the US, people go into politics to get rich”.