Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly lauded his thenchief of staff Dana Williamson for her service to the state and the people of California even as she was quietly under active FBI investigation and on leave from his office.
According to the New York Post, Williamson, 53, a longtime Sacramento operative and key conduit between Newsom, lawmakers, labor unions, and business interests, had already been interviewed by federal agents in November 2024 and removed from day-to-day duties when the governor issued a glowing farewell.
I greatly appreciate Danas counsel and her service to the state and the people of California over the last two years. Her insight, tenacity, and big heart will be missed, Newsom said in a December 2024 statement, offering no hint that his trusted aide was entangled in a federal probe.
Behind the scenes, the investigation was accelerating, culminating in Williamsons indictment by a federal grand jury in November 2025 on 23 counts, including bank and wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and making false statements.
She had been formally placed on leave after her November 2024 FBI interview and then departed the governors office the following month, even as the administration projected an image of orderly transition rather than scandal.
The Post reported that the case against Williamson was bolstered by covert cooperation from her former ally, 45-year-old Alexis Podesta, who wore a wire for the FBI.
As the Post further detailed, Podesta had been secretly recording conversations as far back as June 2024, providing investigators with months of inside audio from the upper reaches of Californias political class.
In May, Williamson pleaded guilty after striking a deal with prosecutors over a scheme to siphon $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra, widely viewed as a likely successor to Newsom, to cover personal expenses.
The plea underscored the extent to which Californias political machinery, dominated for years by Democrats, has been vulnerable to self-dealing and financial abuse under one-party rule.
Facing mounting scrutiny, Newsom has since distanced himself from his former confidante, condemning her admitted lies to federal agents as just wrong and insisting he bears no responsibility.
Its hard, I just think of her daughter, but Im also mindful of accountability, Newsom said, striking a tone of sympathy while emphasizing that he views the matter as a personal failing on Williamsons part, not a reflection on his administration.
Williamsons reputation inside Sacramento had long been polarizing, with critics describing her as a ruthless enforcer in the governors orbit.
Dana has a reputation for being reckless, for being irresponsible and for being a bully, former Jerry Brown aide Gil Duran told CNN, adding, She was somebody who loved power and loved to abuse power.
The scandal now hangs over Newsom as he positions himself for a likely 2028 presidential bid, complicating his efforts to present California as a progressive model for the nation.
Last month, he claimed that he and his wife were themselves under federal scrutiny as a form of political retaliation by the Trump administration, a charge that plays well with the Democratic base but raises questions about his willingness to deflect blame.
No public evidence has yet linked Williamsons criminal case to any investigation into the governor, but speculation about a broader federal inquiry into Newsoms circle has intensified.
Williamsons attorney told The Post that his client refused to cooperate with prosecutors because she had no information on Newsom, a statement that, while exculpatory on its face, has not quelled public curiosity.
Sources familiar with the matter told The Post that federal investigators have spent the past year examining not only Newsom but also his staff and his wifes tax records, suggesting a far more expansive review than the governor acknowledges.
Newsoms spokespeople have dismissed the entire effort as partisan theater, portraying federal law enforcement as weaponized against a high-profile Democratic governor.
The DOJ is now on this lawless fishing expedition at Trumps directive, Newsoms office said, framing the probe as an abuse of power rather than a legitimate inquiry into potential misconduct.
Empty-handed, but under orders from the White House to find something, they are now chasing ghosts and launching investigations based on conspiracy theories, the statement continued, even as the Williamson case demonstrates that at least some of those ghosts inside Californias ruling class were very real.
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