SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 6 (Our California Times) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump and the Justice Department were behind a politically motivated probe into him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but multiple reports said at least one California-based inquiry tied to his orbit began before Trump returned to office.
In a post on X and a video statement Monday, Newsom called the investigation a “fishing expedition” and said he and his wife were on a “hit list.” He said Trump was using the Justice Department to target him.
CalMatters, Fox News, Axios, NBC News and The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the inquiries originated in California rather than in Washington. The reporting said the activity was tied to Sacramento and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
CalMatters, citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, said there have been at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom’s orbit in that office for about a year. The outlet said one inquiry involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration.
Fox News, citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, said the investigations grew out of whistleblower tips and local complaints in Sacramento. The New York Times reported that investigators questioned acquaintances and associates, and said Newsom’s office indicated part of the inquiry focused on Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s tax matters.
CalMatters reported that Williamson pleaded guilty in May in a separate corruption case that did not implicate Newsom. The reporting did not identify the full legal theory behind the inquiries or confirm whether Newsom himself is a formal target.
