Newsom Claims Political Investigation by Trump Administration
California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a video statement asserting that President Donald Trump has instructed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate an investigation into him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, motivated by political interests.
In his remarks, Newsom described himself as being on the DOJ’s “hit list,” reflecting escalating tensions between California and the Trump administration. He argues that this investigation isn’t rooted in any actual wrongdoing, but is rather an attempt to diminish his political influence as he contemplates a presidential campaign.
According to Newsom, federal agents have been approaching friends, business partners, donors, and former employees to gather records and conduct interviews. His office has accused the federal prosecutors of exploiting the grand jury process, labeling the actions as a “fishing expedition” seeking years’ worth of unrelated documents.
While neither Newsom nor his wife has yet received any subpoenas, his team noted that the scale of federal investigative actions has significantly risen since Todd Blanche took the helm of the Department of Justice.
Investigations being managed by the Eastern District of California’s U.S. Attorney’s Office are said to be focused on several local matters that have been under scrutiny for about a year, including aspects of Siebel Newsom’s tax affairs and related organizations.
Additionally, reports indicate that a part of the investigation pertains to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who has pled guilty in a federal corruption case related to the mishandling of campaign funds—a situation that Newsom’s aides argue occurred before he took office.
In public statements, Newsom condemned the investigation, calling it an abuse of federal law enforcement powers. He also expressed pride in standing against the Trump administration, cautioning federal agents to spare his family from what he described as a personal vendetta.
“Today, my wife and I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He directed the Department of Justice to investigate us. They haven’t discovered a crime; they’re just trying to find a crime. He’s not coming after me because of some mean tweets, but because I’m considering running for president,” Newsom mentioned in a tweet.
