SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, went public Monday with accusations that the Justice Department under the Trump administration has opened a politically motivated probe into him and his wife, claiming the investigation is tied to his potential presidential ambitions.
Newsom, who has been a consistent and vocal critic of the Republican president, posted a video on X stating that federal agents have shown up at the homes of his friends and former employees and have sought records. While Newsom did not spell out the specific focus of the investigation, his office indicated the inquiry appears to have recently broadened into “increasingly personal matters involving the Governor’s family and professional network.”
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said in the video, referencing his habit of using social media to ridicule the president. “He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit.”
The complete scope of any Justice Department inquiries involving Newsom remained unclear Monday. However, the disclosure is expected to intensify criticism from those who argue the Trump administration is weaponizing federal law enforcement against the president’s political opponents.
A source with knowledge of the situation denied that a probe specifically aimed at the governor exists, but acknowledged there are several federal investigations involving people in his orbit — including one connected to his wife’s taxes. That particular investigation began last year, and the source said political leadership in Washington had no role in the decision to open it. The source spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to publicly discuss ongoing investigations.
A separate probe involves Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who was indicted on federal charges alleging she participated in a scheme to steal campaign funds from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Williamson pleaded guilty in May to charges that included conspiracy to commit bank fraud. That investigation, originally launched under President Joe Biden’s Justice Department, has since expanded to include other staff members, according to the source.
Newsom has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Williamson’s case.
The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to field questions about Newsom during a brief photo opportunity with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Capitol Hill Monday afternoon. Blanche was meeting with Grassley to discuss his nomination to become attorney general.
The situation is part of a broader pattern of Justice Department scrutiny aimed at individuals seen as political adversaries of the president. The department has also opened investigations into or pursued prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, among others.
“One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list, and today I proudly join that list,” Newsom said in the video.
According to Newsom’s office, investigators have issued subpoenas for records and agents have reached out to organizations and individuals connected to both the governor and his wife. His office accused the Justice Department of “searching for a crime that does not exist.”
Newsom’s office said it learned last week that federal agents had intensified their efforts, questioning people tied to the governor and his wife about a range of topics including businesses, finances, and personal matters.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, issued a statement saying the investigation revealed Trump’s unfitness for office.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” she said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly clashed with California during the president’s second term, including moves to roll back the state’s vehicle emissions policies, withhold wildfire recovery aid, and file a lawsuit over state policies related to transgender student-athletes. California has responded by suing the federal government dozens of times.
Newsom also spearheaded an effort to counter a Trump-backed push in Texas to redraw congressional maps in favor of Republicans, championing a redistricting measure in California intended to deliver Democrats five additional seats in the U.S. House.
