Sources: DOJ investigation into Gov. Gavin Newsom tied to wife’s finances, nonprofits
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the finances of First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
The probe focuses on Siebel Newsom’s taxes and nonprofits connected to her and Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a federal source and a source within Siebel Newsom’s office who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The federal source said there were “several” investigations into the Newsoms that had been ongoing for roughly one year, and originated out of whistleblower complaints submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
One investigation is connected to the prosecution of Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff who pleaded guilty to fraud and lying to the FBI last month. Another investigation is related to Siebel Newsom’s taxes, and could potentially ensnare current staff members, the source said.
Spokespeople for the DOJ, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and FBI all declined to comment. McGregor Scott, a former federal prosecutor representing Williamson, said he had not been contacted as of Monday morning.
In a video statement posted to social media, Newsom claimed the White House is “abusing the grand jury process” to target him and his wife after months of antagonizing President Donald Trump and ahead of his planned run for president in 2028.
On Monday afternoon, Newsom sent out a fundraising email soliciting donations to help “fight off this political witch hunt.”
The White House has not identified a specific allegation, Newsom said, but is instead conducting interviews and requesting records in efforts to identify crimes allegedly committed by the governor and his wife dating back to their first forays into politics and business starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
This month, federal investigators began contacting donors, former and current employees, board members and donors connected to nonprofits and organizations connected to Siebel Newsom and Newsom, according to the source in Siebel Newsom’s office.
Siebel Newsom, who has been married to Newsom since 2008 and maintains a higher profile than other state governors’ spouses, has been the subject of several recent articles in right-wing news outlets.
Newsom’s office said neither he nor Siebel Newsom had received subpoenas as of Monday, but were sure they were coming and that “the governor looks forward to it.”
In the video, Newsom called Trump “the most corrupt president in American history” and said he was being targeted because “I am considering running for president” in 2028. He cited Trump’s other Democratic opponents who have come under scrutiny or prosecution in recent months, like New York Attorney General Leticia James, former FBI director James Comey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” Siebel Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
Previous federal probes
The source in Siebel Newsom’s office said the current investigation began the same time that federal authorities began investigating Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff.
In 2022, the FBI — under the Biden administration — began probing Williamson for shutting down a state sexual harassment case into video game company Activision Blizzard, whom Williamson previously consulted for being hired by Newsom. Williamson pleaded guilty last month to fraud and lying to the FBI; she faces up to 38 years in prison and $1.35 million in fines.
Newsom previously told The Sacramento Bee the FBI had not interviewed him about Williamson’s investigation, nor had he received any notification that agents had surveilled his communications after the FBI intercepted lobbyists’ communications during the Williamson probe.
Investigation efforts intensified, Newsom’s office said, after Todd Blanche became the acting head of the DOJ.
“After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” Newsom said in a statement.
The Newsoms’ complicated finances
Siebel Newsom draws a six-figure salary from Representation Project, a nonprofit she founded to finance her documentary films and promote feminism.
The nonprofit paid her more than $161,250 last year for her 40-hour-a-week work as founder and COO, according to tax filings. It separately paid Siebel Newsom’s related film production company, Girls Club Entertainment, an identical amount for contracting work.
In all, Siebel Newsom earned roughly $3 million in salary and, through her company, licensing fees since 2015.
In its filings, Representation Project said that GCE owns the copyright to four films written and produced by Siebel Newsom and has licensed it to the Representation Project for distribution.
“Costs incurred by GCE for production purposes, including the writer/director/producer fee, were reimbursed by The Representation Project,” the nonprofit said in its returns.
In 2021, The Bee reported on ties between the nonprofit and companies that lobby the governor. Newsom denied a conflict of interest. But the investigation by The Bee found more than $800,000 in donations to Representation Project from companies including PG&E, AT&T and Kaiser Permanente.
Governor Newsom has solicited more than $4.8 million worth of donations since 2020 for another nonprofit, California Partners Project, which advocates for “gender equity across the state,” and where his wife serves on the board. More than a third of that — $1.8 million — came from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which operates the Graton Resort & Casino in Sonoma County.
The so-called behested payments are legal under California law.
The governor is also connected to the nonprofit California State Protocol Foundation, which pays for expenses Newsom incurs in his political activities. The group took in more than $5 million in gifts, grants and contributions from 2020 through 2024, according to its tax returns.
The nonprofit didn’t report paying any compensation to a staff or board, which includes two former Newsom aides, Steve Kawa and Jim DeBoo, as well as Sacramento Kings COO Matina Kolokotronis.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Sources: DOJ investigation into Gov. Gavin Newsom tied to wife’s finances, nonprofits."
