Newsom Claims Trump Is Targeting Him With Justice Department Probe
The investigation centers on Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s business and nonprofit.
California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Trump Monday of directing a politically motivated Justice Department investigation against him and his family that appears centered on his wife’s business and nonprofit.
“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family, friends, and former employees. Not because they found a crime — because they’re simply trying to find one,” Mr. Newsom said in a nearly five-minute video statement. “They’re demanding records, they’re abusing the grand jury process, digging through years and years of random documents.”
The governor is term-limited and leaves office in January but has emerged as a leading Democratic 2028 contender.
“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. Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit,” Mr. Newsom said, calling him “the most corrupt president in American history.”
“After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” the governor alleged. “And just in the last week I’ve learned that his campaign has reached my own home to get me.”
California federal law enforcement launched the investigation, The New York Times reports,
“He’s coming after my wife, Jen, a public servant, a woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls, someone who has done nothing wrong other than having the temerity to advocate for what she believes in,” he said. “If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children.”
The probe seems focused on Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s activities as the head of a nonprofit that promotes feminism and its links to a documentary film production company she owns.
The Sacramento Bee reported five years ago that companies lobbying Mr. Newsom, then in his first term, helped fund Mrs. Newsom’s Representation Project, “which promotes feminist causes, finances her documentary films and has paid her more than $2.3 million since its founding in 2011.” The Times notes, “Tax records show that the Representation Project makes annual payments to Girls Club Entertainment,” her film-production firm.
The probe Mr. Newsom decries comes one month after his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, and filing a false tax return over her role in embezzling from campaign accounts of Xavier Becerra, the ex-Biden cabinet official leading the race to succeed Mr. Newsom.
The governor said he and his family have “nothing to hide” and challenged investigators to review any records they seek. He then accused Mr. Trump of profiting from the presidency through business ventures, tariffs, cryptocurrency activities, and foreign dealings.
“His personal fortune has skyrocketed by $4 billion since making his return to office,” Mr. Newsom said. “This is the behavior of a regime, not a republic.”
Addressing the president directly, Mr. Newsom said: “You can subpoena my records, you can investigate me, you can harass me, put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta.”
He concluded by pledging to continue opposing the Trump administration. “So let me say it again, Mr. President: Come after me,” Mr. Newsom said. “I’m not going anywhere, and the country is watching.”
The Washington Star has contacted the Justice Department for comment.
 | A guest post by
|