SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 6 (Our California Times) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but multiple reports say federal inquiries tied to Newsom’s circle began under President Joe Biden and in California.
In a post on X and a video message, Newsom called the effort a “fishing expedition” and a “hit list.” He said Trump was using federal law enforcement against a political critic.
A Justice Department source familiar with the matter told CalMatters that there have been at least two criminal investigations in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California for about a year. The source said one inquiry involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration.
Other people familiar with the investigations told The New York Times, NBC News, Axios, Fox News and other outlets that the inquiries originated in California, including Sacramento, rather than at DOJ headquarters in Washington. One Justice Department source said they grew out of whistleblower complaints and local reports.
Fox News also reported that a separate Williamson-related case ended with guilty pleas and corruption charges without implicating Newsom. Williamson pleaded guilty in May in that case, according to the reporting.
