California Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, who left amid a federal fraud investigation, reportedly received $50,000 in benefits upon retirement.
Dana Williamson cashed in around $30,000 in unused vacation time and was on the state’s payroll until January 31. Her resignation was confirmed seven weeks after it became public, as shown by state payroll records reviewed by an agency.
Additionally, she was granted a lump sum of about $22,000 for remaining paid time off, according to these payroll records.
Williamson was arrested in November and faces a total of 23 indictments. She is accused of collaborating with others to misappropriate $225,000 from a dormant political campaign, diverting funds to friends.
California’s employment regulations allow workers to take monthly paid vacation and carry over any unused hours. When an employee departs, they are compensated for leftover vacation time.
While there is typically a cap of 640 hours on paid vacation time, this rule doesn’t always apply. Payments are based on an employee’s final salary, meaning someone with a significant amount of accrued vacation time, like Williamson, can receive a substantial payout.
“Honestly, this is shocking,” Congressman Josh Hoover remarked.
The large payouts illustrate a worrying trend in California’s government operations. The state is currently responsible for approximately $5.6 billion in owed vacation and furlough compensation.
In 2025 alone, California disbursed $453 million to about 21,000 retiring employees, with 80 individuals receiving more than $250,000 and over 1,000 receiving upwards of $100,000. This financial obligation has grown from $3.9 billion in 2019, partly due to employees accumulating excessive vacation balances and sometimes receiving additional time off in exchange for raises during budget constraints.
“This issue is systemic within California’s government, and I don’t sense much willingness to tackle it,” stated John Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
“At the same time, they claim there’s a fiscal crisis. I suspect they will persist with these strict policies.”
Coupal expressed concern that state lawmakers seem disinclined to address the burgeoning costs associated with unused vacation time and related pay.
