Governor Gavin Newsom at 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, June 1, 2019. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)
US Justice Department Announces Former Newsom Chief-of-Staff Indicted and Arrested in Public Corruption Probe
The three-year investigation goes back to 2022, through 2025, and during the time Williamson was Chief of Staff to Governor Gavin Newsom
By Katy Grimes, November 12, 2025 3:05 pm
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that California Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, has been arrested by the FBI in a public corruption probe. According to the DOJ, Williamson has been indicted and accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, to defraud the United States.
The three-year investigation goes back to 2022, through 2025, and during the time Williamson was Chief of Staff to Governor Gavin Newsom.
Two others were named in the indictment: Greg Campbell, a registered lobbyist and lobbying company owner, and Sean McCluskie, former chief of staff for the former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
The federal charges allege her involvement in a complicated scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“Political consultant Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, was charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced,” the DOJ announced. “The 23-count indictment was unsealed following Williamson’s arrest this morning.”
“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “As it always has, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption.”
“Disguising personal luxuries as business expenses—especially to claim improper tax deductions or to willfully file fraudulent tax returns is a serious criminal offense with severe consequences,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “IRS-CI will pursue charges against those who deliberately exploit their business for personal enrichment.”
According to federal prosecutors, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with several others to divert approximately $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign to an associate’s personal use. Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay for what was, in reality, a no-show job.
The indictment also alleges that Williamson conspired with a business associate to create false, backdated contracts after receiving a civil subpoena in January 2024 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans made to Williamson’s business.
Williamson also subscribed to false tax returns claiming more than $1 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags, as well as deductions for no-show jobs for friends and family.
When questioned by FBI agents in connection with ongoing investigations into the diversion of campaign funds, the backdated contracts, and allegations of public corruption, Williamson made false statements to the agents regarding each of those topics the DOJ said.
Notably, I reported in 2018 about Xavier Becerra:
Becerra has his own troubles in D.C. as he was up to his eyeballs in the House Democratic Caucus Awan Brothers Congressional IT Scandal. Then-Rep. Xavier Becerra was the caucus chairman when he gave a fake server to the cops in order to obstruct their investigation. “The executive director of the Democratic Caucus was Sean McCluskie, who was Becerra’s chief of staff and is now chief deputy attorney general of California,” Daily Caller reporter Luke Rosiak reported in 2017. “The Awans and their associates collected more than $5 million in pay from congressional offices, often drawing chief-of-staff level pay though there is reason to believe many didn’t even show up. The House’s internal probe found they logged into servers they had no affiliation with, used members’ usernames, covered their tracks, and persisted even after being fired.”
Members of the Awan family logged on to the Caucus server 7,000 times without authorization between October 2015 and August 2016, according to a House investigation.
This case is the product of a three year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation.
According to the DOJ, Williamson faces up to two decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines if she is convicted.
williamson_indictment
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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WHOA. Okay, now we’re talking. Will be tuned into this one for sure.
Here’s hoping that Dana turns for a deal and we have a RICO of the entire Newscum governorship.
That would be delightful, wouldn’t it?
A fish rots from the head….
Investigate NEWSOM next – those multi-million dollar mansions are probably a forensic auditor’s wet-dream….
Trump is tightening the vise on Newscum till he cracks.
How deeply is Xavier Becerra involved?
• As HHS Secretary he couldn’t define a woman during his Senate confirmation hearing.
• Once in office, he authorized COVID sanctions, hospital protocols, mandatory vaccines and media claims that defied science, standards of medical practice and subjugated any health professional who challenged the narrative.
• As Congressman, he was implicated in the Awan Brothers scandal.
• As California AG he reduced theft to a misdemeanor under $950 protecting sanctuary cities for crime. And wasn’t his qualification questioned because he let his law license expire?
It would seem his view of the law, performance and nature is subjectively self serving, immoral and illegal.
Could Becerra be Company B – Conspirator 2?
Maybe Dana Williamson will turn state’s evidence to avoid her potentially long prison sentence and fines.
It seems that Public Official 1 is Becerra? So the indictment appears to indicate that he had no knowledge of this scheme and he would have stopped it if he had known?
I reported in 2018: Becerra has his own troubles in D.C. as he was up to his eyeballs in the House Democratic Caucus Awan Brothers Congressional IT Scandal. Then-Rep. Xavier Becerra was the caucus chairman when he gave a fake server to the cops in order to obstruct their investigation. “The executive director of the Democratic Caucus was Sean McCluskie, who was Becerra’s chief of staff and is now chief deputy attorney general of California,” Daily Caller reporter Luke Rosiak reported in 2017. “The Awans and their associates collected more than $5 million in pay from congressional offices, often drawing chief-of-staff level pay though there is reason to believe many didn’t even show up. The House’s internal probe found they logged into servers they had no affiliation with, used members’ usernames, covered their tracks, and persisted even after being fired.”
Excellent. I remember that story now. It’s all coming back to me….
Yes, Katy. Debbie Wasserman Schulz’ reaction was to attack authorities who wanted to confiscate laptops so they could be analyzed for spyware or other evidence of a crime. Daily Caller’s Luke Rosiak did comprehensive reporting on this, but it didn’t get traction on MSM, did it?
Becerra was at the core of the operation, but Governor Jerry Brown rescued him by appointing him attorney general when Kamala advanced to US Senator.
He was the worst possible candidate for HSS Secretary unless he was chosen to facilitate the COVID vaccine program and transgender procedures for minors. Xavier Beccera needs to face justice on so many levels.
Thank you KG. I missed this server obstruction case. Well, so maybe Becerra IS involved up to his eyeballs in this one too? It looks like Public Official 1 (possibly Becerra) is cooperating with the FBI and DoJ and turning on all of his alleged co-conspirators? They could turn on him in return.
The LA time reporting the Feds about one year ago tried to get Williamson to implicate Newsom in wrongdoing: Apparently she refused.
Is Newsom the primary target?
“While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” said Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s spokesperson, in a written statement.
This statement by Mr. Gardon may not hold much water. It’s hard to believe that the Biden DOJ didn’t give Newsom a heads up about the investigation. Furthermore Ms. William’s resignation appears to have taken place after Trump was elected in 2024.
So, the question really is, what did Gavin Newsom know and when did he know it.
From the LA Times this date.
A second source with knowledge of the case who was not authorized to speak publicly said federal investigators tried to pressure Williamson into implicating Newsom, but that Williamson told them she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by the governor and that she refused to cooperate.
So is Williamson willing to do prison time instead of testifying against her boss? Like Susan McDougal did for Bill Clinton in the Whitewater trial? I guess we shall see…..
Seriously, why are politicians such crooks???? Heads better roll over this!
Some juicy bonus items and news clips on all of this from today’s John Phillips Show.
“Gavin Newsom’s Ex-Chief of Staff Charged in Corruption Scandal”
https://omny.fm/shows/the-drive-home-with-jillian-barberie-and-john-ph-1/gavin-newsoms-ex-chief-of-staff-charged-in-corruption-scandal?in_playlist=the-morning-drive-with-jillian-barberie-john-phill
Thanks for posting this Showandtell. The part about the investigation being started by BIden makes sense when you look at the way Newsom was sidelined during the Democrat convention; where Harris was placed on the ticket with Walz. The governor was very unhappy. The show hosts don’t seem to believe that Becerra is clean either. As for Williamson, they see her as a mob boss type. The Cosa Nostra = The California Democrat Party. So, it looks like Newsom may have been the original target (of Biden) and may still end up being a target (of Trump). I hope someone makes a movie about this……One of the First Partner’s Hollywood friends? Thank God who sees everything.
Yes, Raymond, nice summary of what likely happened here. As for a movie, how about a documentary? But (ha ha) let’s keep the “First Partner” and her wacky Hollywood contacts far far away from it. Imagine.
Hot off the LA Times Press.
Williamson’s attorney McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento, told The Times on Wednesday that federal authorities had approached Williamson more than a year ago, seeking help with some kind of probe of the governor himself.
Today’s LA Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-13/federal-fraud-case-newsom-political-orbit