Former Newsom Chief of Staff Indicted on Fraud Charges
A former chief of staff to Governor Gavin Newsom has been indicted on accusations of plotting to embezzle $225,000 for a friend, as announced by the Justice Department.
Dana Williamson faces 23 federal charges, which include conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, defrauding the U.S., obstructing justice, filing false tax returns, and lying to officials. She is accused of taking part in a scheme to launder campaign funds into various accounts for personal use.
“This is a significant development in a political corruption investigation that has been ongoing for more than three years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to collaborate closely with law enforcement to shield Californians from corruption,” stated U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents mention Sean McCluskey as a co-conspirator involved in receiving these funds. At that time, he was the chief of staff to an individual referred to as “Civil Servant 1.” McCluskey previously held a similar position under Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Becerra, before his current role, served as California’s attorney general after being appointed by former President Biden.
In 2022, Williamson reportedly aided McCluskey by employing his political consulting firm to bill Becerra’s campaign for services. Payments were made to McCluskey’s spouse for tasks that, according to allegations, were never performed—characterized as a “no-show job.”
Williamson was Newsom’s secretary until late 2024. A representative for Newsom commented, “Mr. Williamson is no longer part of this administration. We’re still assessing the details of these allegations, but the Governor holds public servants to high integrity standards.”
The spokesperson further expressed that with the current political climate, particularly regarding the President’s calls for investigations into rivals, it’s crucial to uphold the principle of innocence until proven guilty by a jury.
Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Oakland Field Office, remarked, “Misrepresenting personal expenses as business-related, especially through improper tax deductions or fraudulent tax returns, constitutes a serious crime with serious repercussions.”
