California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Trump's Justice Department is
investigating him and his wife
[June 16, 2026]
By SOPHIE AUSTIN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on
Monday accused the Justice Department of launching a politically
motivated investigation into him and his wife, saying the Trump
administration was targeting him as he weighs a presidential bid.
Newsom, a longtime political rival of the Republican president, said in
a video posted on X that federal agents have knocked on the doors of his
friends and former employees, and have asked for records. Newsom didn't
provide specifics on the nature of the probe, but his office said the
inquiry appears to have recently expanded into “increasingly personal
matters involving the Governor's family and professional network.”
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,”
Newsom said, referencing his use of social media to mock Trump. “He’s
coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because
he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for
his lies and deceit.”
The full details of any Justice Department inquires related to Newsom
were not immediately clear. But the revelations were likely to escalate
accusations from critics that the Trump administration is using the law
enforcement agency as a weapon to go after the president's political
opponents.
A person familiar with the matter denied the existence of an
investigation specifically targeting the governor, but said there are
multiple federal probes into people around him, including one related to
his wife’s taxes. That probe began last year, and political leadership
in Washington was not involved in the decision to open it, said the
person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to publicly discuss ongoing investigations.
Another probe is related to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana
Williamson, who was indicted on federal charges that she was involved in
a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Health Secretary
Xavier Becerra. Williamson in May pleaded guilty to charges including
conspiracy to commit bank fraud. That investigation, which was launched
by President Joe Biden's Justice Department, has expanded to include
other staff, the person familiar with the matter said.
Newsom hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing related to Williamson’s
case.
The Justice Department declined to comment Monday. Acting Attorney
General Todd Blanche declined to answer questions about Newsom during a
brief photo opportunity with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck
Grassley, R-Iowa, on Capitol Hill Monday afternoon. Blanche had a
scheduled meeting with Grassley to discuss his nomination to become
attorney general.
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Trump's Justice Department pursues his critics
They are the latest Justice Department investigations surrounding
one of Trump’s political foes.
The Justice Department has also opened investigations into or
brought prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey,New
York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA director John
Brennan and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, among other
perceived political enemies of the president.
“One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on
his hit list, and today I proudly join that list,” Newsom said in
the video.
Investigators have subpoenaed records, and agents have reached out
to organizations and people connected to the governor and his wife,
according to Newsom's office. The governor's office accused the
Justice Department of “searching for a crime that does not exist.”
Newsom's office said it heard last week that federal agents had
ramped up their efforts and were asking people tied to the governor
and his wife about a range of issues, including their businesses,
finances and personal matters. His office said it filed a public
records request Monday seeking messages to or from Justice
Department leaders mentioning Newsom or his wife during Trump's
second term.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, said the investigation
showed that Trump is unfit for office.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get
his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” she said in a
statement.
The president has repeatedly gone after the Democrat-dominated state
during his second term including by curbing a signature plan to
reduce planet-warning emissions from cars, withholding aid for
wildfire recovery and suing over state policies supporting
transgender student-athletes. The state has pushed back by suing the
federal government dozens of times.
Newsom also led a push to counteract a Trump-backed effort in Texas
to redraw congressional districts to favor Republicans by
championing a successful redistricting measure in California
designed to win Democrats five additional House seats.
____
Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter
Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.
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