Newsom says Trump is using DOJ to investigate him, his wife
Friends and former employees of Gov. Gavin Newsom have recently been questioned by federal agents in what the California governor described as a politically-motivated investigation from President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.
In a video released Monday, Newsom alleged the DOJ is “trying to find” a crime through what his team described as an illegitimate investigation into him and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
“They are demanding records,” the Democratic governor said. “They are abusing the grand jury process. Digging through years and years of random documents. 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.”
Federal investigators have been contacting family friends, donors, former employees and associates, the governor’s office said, in addition to subpoenaing records and asking questions about the governor’s finances, organizations connected to his wife and personal family matters.
Neither the governor nor the first partner has received a subpoena, though Newsom anticipates they will come eventually.
Agents also previously looked into allegations that Newsom’s administration intervened in a state lawsuit against video game company Activision Blizzard, but that investigation went nowhere, Newsom’s team said.
The White House directed comments on the topic to the DOJ, which did not comment on the situation.
A source familiar with the investigation told FOX40 that several investigations have been ongoing for about a year. Those probes originated from whistleblowers and other local sources in California, and the investigation has been handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
One of the investigations is into Jennifer Siebel Newsom and tax matters, and a second concerns the governor’s former chief of staff, the source said. The scope of those investigations, though, is unclear.
Newsom said he “proudly” joins the list of political enemies the president has ordered to be investigated, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, former FBI Director James Comey and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California.
“After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” the governor said in the video.
Newsom announced later Monday afternoon that his office filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records — including texts, emails and other documents — from top DOJ officials containing references to the governor or his wife.
“Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has been conducting a fishing expedition in search of a crime that does not exist,” Newsom said. “The American people deserve to know who ordered this abuse of power and how far it goes.”
After criticizing the Trump administration for what he described as lawlessness and corruption, California’s governor said he welcomes the president’s attacks but called on Trump to “leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta.”
“Mr. President, come after me,” he said. “I am not going anywhere. And the country is watching.”
