California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the Department of Justice of initiating a baseless and politically motivated investigation into him and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, asserting that the inquiry was directed by former President Donald Trump.
Newsom stated, "After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me. And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen." He adamantly denied any wrongdoing by himself or his wife.
A source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss it publicly, indicated that two investigations are reportedly underway. One probe is related to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and the other concerns Siebel Newsom’s taxes. The source stated that both investigations have been ongoing for approximately one year and were initiated by prosecutors in Sacramento based on information from whistleblowers and other local sources in California, not as a result of directives from Washington or the White House.
Newsom described actions by federal agents in recent days, including knocking on the doors of family friends and former employees, demanding records, scrutinizing years of documents, and allegedly abusing the grand jury process in an effort to find wrongdoing. He contended that these actions are not based on discovered crimes but on a search for them. Newsom did not specify the nature of the alleged probes or the exact nature of the questioning and records sought.
The Governor suggested that Trump instigated these probes because Newsom is considering a presidential run in 2028 and because Trump allegedly resents Newsom's consistent criticism of his statements and actions. Newsom drew parallels to investigations targeting other political opponents of Trump, including Senators Adam Schiff and Tim Walz, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, stating, "One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list. And today, I proudly join that list."
