Federal agents are knocking on the doors of Gavin Newsom's family friends and demanding records from his donors.
Now a scandal from inside his office just handed federal prosecutors exactly what they needed.
Newsom's former chief of staff just pleaded guilty to three federal felonies – and what she does next is something Newsom cannot control.
Dana Williamson Guilty Plea Exposes What Was Happening Inside Newsom's Office
Dana Williamson ran Gavin Newsom's office as chief of staff from late 2022 through late 2024 – the most powerful unelected position in California government.
Federal prosecutors charged her with 23 counts.
She pleaded guilty on May 14 to three: conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to an FBI agent.
The fraud scheme was brazen.
Williamson and two co-conspirators siphoned $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra – then Biden's Secretary of Health and Human Services, now the leading candidate for California governor.
The money went to Becerra's chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, who had taken a pay cut to work in Washington while his wife stayed behind in California.
To cover it, Williamson fabricated consulting contracts.
The FBI didn't just build a paper case – agents wiretapped a meeting between Williamson and her co-conspirators in June 2024, recording them in real time.
On top of the fraud, Williamson claimed more than $1 million in personal expenses as business deductions – private jet trips, birthday vacations to Mexico, designer handbags – all written off on her taxes.
She's been ordered to pay $729,000 in restitution to Becerra's campaign fund and the IRS.
Her sentencing is expected next month.
What Gavin Newsom Knew About the FBI Investigation and When He Knew It
Williamson left Newsom’s office in late 2024 after informing the governor that she was under active FBI investigation.
Newsom didn't stay quiet or issue a careful no-comment – he put her "insight, tenacity, and big heart" in writing.
The investigation into Williamson dates back to 2022 – the same year she joined his administration.
And it wasn't just Williamson prosecutors were watching.
The FBI wiretap wasn't about campaign account fraud.
Investigators recorded Williamson planning to kill a public records request – one that would have exposed how Newsom's office handled a workplace discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, a video game company Williamson had previously advised as a paid consultant.
Two of California's own attorneys tried to stop what was happening.
Chief counsel Janette Wipper was fired after raising concerns about political interference in the case. Her deputy, Melanie Proctor, quit and said publicly that Newsom's office was directing the state's lawyers to mirror Activision's legal strategy.
California ultimately dropped its sexual harassment claims against Activision and settled for $54 million – a fraction of what the original case sought – after Activision board member Casey Wasserman donated $100,000 to Newsom's anti-recall campaign.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom Nonprofit and Taxes Now Under Federal Scrutiny
Federal prosecutors in Sacramento expanded their inquiry this month, contacting dozens of the Newsoms' friends, former employees, and donors – and the subpoenas and bank record demands followed.
The DOJ is now scrutinizing Jennifer Siebel Newsom's taxes and her nonprofit finances.
Siebel Newsom founded The Representation Project in 2011 and has collected $161,250 annually as its founder and chief operating officer.
Her production company, Girls Club Entertainment, received an identical amount in contracting fees from that same nonprofit in 2024 alone.
The California Partners Project – a second organization she leads – took in more than $4.8 million since 2020, with Newsom personally soliciting donations from companies that had active business before his administration, among them Silicon Valley Bank, PG&E, AT&T, and Kaiser Permanente.
Federal prosecutors are looking specifically at whether nonprofit funds paid for personal expenses.
A source with direct knowledge of the probe told the California Post that investigators have evidence pointing exactly there.
Newsom went public, claiming Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate him because he's considering a 2028 presidential run.
"Not because they found a crime," Newsom said in a video posted to X. "Because they are simply trying to find one."
Why a Cooperating Witness From Newsom's Inner Circle Changes Everything
Former prosecutor Paul DeGroot, who oversaw public corruption cases in New Jersey, told the California Post that federal prosecutors don't go after sitting governors casually.
"A federal or state prosecutor will only indict a government official, especially a high-ranking one, if the prosecutor believes they will be able to prove a crime has occurred beyond a reasonable doubt," DeGroot said.
Williamson faces between 30 and 37 months in federal prison – and facing that kind of time, a defendant will tell prosecutors everything she knows.
"A target of an investigation should always be concerned about a cooperating witness previously in their inner circle," DeGroot said, "because of the witness's desperation to avoid prison time and ability to attribute statements and actions to the target."
Williamson ran his office for two years – every meeting, every decision, every conversation with every person who mattered in Sacramento.
If she has something to offer, she has every reason to offer it now.
Sources:
- Josh Koehn, "Gavin Newsom's criminal ex-chief of staff haunts him in DOJ investigations," California Post, June 20, 2026.
- Jeanne Kuang, "Former Newsom chief of staff pleads guilty in campaign account embezzlement scheme," CalMatters, May 14, 2026.
- Chris Bray, "Gavin Newsom's Former Chief of Staff Pleads Guilty to Fraud," The Federalist, May 14, 2026.
- "While claiming to fight corruption, Newsom solicited $340M from special interests for allies," Just the News, June 17, 2026.
- "California First Partner under federal investigation for tax conduct and nonprofit activities," Washington Examiner, June 19, 2026.
