Newsom took the unusual step of addressing the probe in a video — accusing President Donald Trump of a politically motivated investigation.
Jun 15, 2026
Updated 4:20 pm PT
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left) looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats headquarters on Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Newsom has assumed the role of a leading foil to Trump during the president’s second term — through lawsuits, provocative social media posts and a voter-approved redistricting campaign, Proposition 50, framed as a rebuttal to Trump’s own gerrymandering efforts.
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president,” Newsom said. “Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out — over and over again — for his lies and deceit.”
The governor’s office said federal agents are also looking into income earned by Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker.
“This is not presidential behavior, and the Governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much more,” Siebel Newsom said in a statement.
The governor’s office said federal agents have interviewed friends, donors and business associates of the governor and first partner.
“This is very cryptic,” said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor. She added that it’s hard to assess the inquiry without knowing what Newsom is being investigated for. Still, Levenson said the governor has grounds to question the Justice Department’s motives. “We are seeing things happening in the grand jury which we have not seen in prior departments of justice,” she said.
Last month, Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in a wide-ranging corruption case that targeted Williamson’s tax returns and her theft from the campaign account of former Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Prosecutors said in one instance, Williamson lied to federal agents about using her position in the Newsom administration to help a former client, the video game company Activision Blizzard.
Williamson’s lawyer said federal prosecutors asked her for information on Newsom, but she had none to provide. Newsom was not accused of any wrongdoing.
In his video, Newsom compared the current probe to the Trump administration’s investigations of other high-profile Democratic opponents, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Coming out strong early is likely a smart play for the governor, said Levenson — particularly the probe’s focus on Newsom’s wife. “By and large, the public does not like when the federal government … goes after family members just because they’re related to him,” Levenson said.
“Put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta,” Newsom said.
