Justice Department tax probe includes Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife

(CNN) — The Department of Justice is investigating Gavin Newsom’s wife, according to a person familiar with the matter, in a move the Democratic California governor blasted Monday as politically motivated.

Newsom also claimed that he was a target in the investigation, though the source said the governor himself is not being investigated.

The US attorney’s office in the Eastern District of California is leading probes into people connected to Newsom over possible tax-related crimes, and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is among them, the person familiar with the matter said.

Newsom’s office believes investigators have subpoenaed financial records connected to the governor and his wife, and businesses and nonprofits connected to them. His office said investigators have asked people close to California’s first family questions about specific transactions that only could have come from such records.

The disclosure of the probes became the latest example of Donald Trump’s Justice Department investigating people the president considers adversaries. The person familiar with the matter, however, insisted the agency’s political leadership wasn’t involved in opening the investigation, saying the probe was instead prompted by whistleblower reports last year.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would not answer questions Monday on Capitol Hill, where he was meeting with senators as he seeks confirmation to the post full time.

In a video posted to social media Monday as The New York Times first disclosed the probe, Newsom said he believes Trump is targeting those close to him because he might run for president in 2028.

“If he can’t intimidate me, he’ll go after the mother of our children,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump picked the wrong target. We have nothing to hide.”

Newsom said Trump “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.”

Newsom, 58, has become one of Trump’s chief Democratic antagonists — often mocking the president’s style on social media. The two have clashed over Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, including the president’s federalization of the California National Guard, which was halted by courts.

When Trump sought to buoy the GOP’s slim House majority in this year’s midterm elections by pushing Texas to redraw its congressional districts, Newsom successfully lobbied voters to sign off on a measure that scrapped California’s districts drawn by an independent commission in favor of new maps that could neutralize the GOP’s Texas gains.

What Newsom says about the investigation

Newsom’s office said federal agents have contacted people and organizations connected to both the governor and his wife and conducted interviews related to years of personal and professional activity. The office said it believes subpoenas have been sent, based on what was asked during the interviews, but said it had seen no proof.

There was a recent flurry of activity related to the probe in recent weeks, according to the office.

Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, was indicted in November 2025 on federal charges alleging her involvement in a scheme to steal campaign money from former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, for whom she also worked. Those allegations stem from actions before she worked for Newsom. She pleaded guilty to three of those 23 charges last month.

The probes into Newsom’s wife and Williamson were opened last year, a person familiar with the matter said. Investigators have since held interviews with potential witnesses and have issued grand jury subpoenas in both matters, the person said.

Newsom’s office, pointing to past comments from Williamson’s attorney, said federal investigators last year offered Williamson leniency in exchange for information about Newsom, but that she had nothing to share.

Becerra is running to replace Newsom in the governor’s office. He is set to take on Republican Steve Hilton, who is backed by Trump, in November’s general election. During the primary, multiple prominent candidates blasted Becerra for Williamson’s conduct — with Becerra responding that he had not been implicated.

Newsom, meanwhile, is widely seen as a top potential 2028 presidential contender. The Democratic contest is certain to draw a wide field of candidates, many of whom are already jockeying for a position by demonstrating their abilities to take on Trump.

Trump opponents have faced probes

The Justice Department has opened investigations into several of Trump’s political foes, some of which have sputtered in court.

Prosecutors brought cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James in the fall, both of which were dismissed by judges who found the US attorney overseeing the cases was improperly serving.

The department tried again to bring a case against James but has not been successful.

As for Comey, a grand jury in North Carolina recently indicted him in an unrelated criminal probe — this time for posting a photo of seashells to social media that were arranged to read “86 47.” Sometimes 86 is used to mean “nix,” and Trump is the 47th president.

The Justice Department also has a long-running criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan — one of Trump’s top foes and a vocal critic of the president.

Last month, CNN reported the Justice Department also launched an investigation around Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll.

In his video, Newsom called Trump “a man with no character” and said Trump “is selling the presidency.”

“To Donald Trump, this country does not belong to you. It does not belong to your cronies. And we’re going to fight your lawlessness. And we’re going to continue to remind the people of this country of your corruption,” Newsom said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
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