DOJ Probe Claim Puts Newsom in Spotlight

Vitaliy Haiduk, Unsplash

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. He made the claim in a social media video posted on June 15, 2026.

In the video, Newsom said President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to target his family. He framed the Trump DOJ probe as political payback for his frequent clashes with the president.

Newsom argued the timing was not an accident. He said the California governor investigation is meant to damage him because he is weighing a 2028 presidential run.

“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,” Newsom said. He added that the president “isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets.”

What Newsom Claims

Newsom said federal agents are demanding records and “abusing the grand jury process.” He described the effort as a search through years of documents in hopes of finding wrongdoing.

He also said the president is reaching into his home by targeting his wife. “If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump picked the wrong target. We have nothing to hide.”

Newsom called the president “the most corrupt President in American history.” He said anyone who challenges the president ends up on what he called a “hit list.”

The governor compared his situation to other Trump political opponents. He pointed to former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Adam Schiff, former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

What the Sources Report

Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News that the Gavin Newsom DOJ investigation has been ongoing since 2025. The probe is reportedly based on whistleblower complaints tied to the couple’s personal finances.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California. Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Grant is overseeing the matter and declined to comment.

A source said there are several investigations, and they did not begin with the DOJ. One reportedly focuses on Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s taxes, and another on Newsom’s former chief of staff.

That former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty in May. She admitted to lying to the FBI, filing a false tax return, and funneling campaign funds. According to Newsom’s office, federal investigators sought information from Williamson, but she said she had none because the governor committed no crime.

Scrutiny of the Nonprofits

Much of the reported scrutiny centers on his wife’s nonprofit work. Jennifer Siebel Newsom is a documentary filmmaker who founded The Representation Project, a group focused on gender equity through media.

Reporting also points to the California Partners Project. The governor reportedly helped funnel more than $4.4 million from special interests and wealthy individuals to the project, one of his wife’s causes.

Critics have raised “pay-for-play” concerns, claiming companies with business in California donate to gain influence. The Representation Project also paid a film company owned by Siebel Newsom for production work, according to tax filings.

The governor’s office described the matter differently. Officials said federal investigators spent months looking for a crime, failed to find one, and then widened the inquiry to include family, friends, and associates.

Newsom’s Response and the FOIA Request

Newsom did not wait quietly. His office filed a Freedom of Information Act request demanding DOJ records tied to what it called a politically motivated investigation.

The FOIA request seeks emails, text messages, memos, and Signal messages from senior Justice Department leaders. It covers records from Jan. 20, 2025, to the present and names officials including Todd Blanche.

“Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has been conducting a fishing expedition in search of a crime that does not exist,” Newsom said in a statement. “The American people deserve to know who ordered this abuse of power and how far it goes.”

Both the DOJ and the White House declined to comment when reached by reporters. The White House referred questions to the DOJ.

A History of Clashes

The DOJ political targeting claim follows years of conflict between the two men. The president publicly called for Newsom’s arrest in 2025, the governor’s office noted.

In November 2025, the president nationalized the California National Guard. The move came in response to protests against immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, and Newsom sued to regain control of the forces.

The two have also traded blows over crime, homelessness, and the environment. Newsom is widely seen as a leading figure for the 2028 presidential election.

A political strategist quoted in the reporting said Newsom’s decision to go public is unusual. Typically, the government announces an investigation, and if it closes, little is said. Some observers noted that not all investigations into political figures are the same, and they urged caution before drawing conclusions about the Newsom 2028 presidential run.

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