Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted on Monday that President Trump directed the Department of Justice to investigate him and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and that federal agents have sought records from family, friends and former staff.
- The Justice Department declined to comment and the White House referred questions to DOJ, leaving key factual claims about who ordered the work unresolved.
- Multiple outlets report the active probes began in 2025 after whistleblower tips in California and are being handled by U.S. attorney offices and FBI field offices in the state rather than by DOJ political leadership.
- Reporting shows investigators have issued grand-jury subpoenas and conducted witness interviews that target associates and Siebel Newsom’s tax and nonprofit finances, while several sources say there is no confirmed investigation directly into Gavin Newsom himself.
- The episode follows the November 2025 indictment and recent guilty plea by Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson and could heighten political stakes as Newsom positions himself for a possible 2028 presidential run.