Sacramento, California– California Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff has been arrested Indicted on federal corruption charges This week, nearly a year after she disclosed the investigation to Newsom’s office and was placed on leave.
Dana Williamson is accused of aiding in a scheme to steal campaign funds from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, filling out fraudulent tax forms for personal expenses and making false statements to law enforcement.
Neither Becerra nor Newsom was accused of any wrongdoing in the indictment. BecerraHe, now a candidate for governor of California, described the news as a “death blow.”
Newsom’s office indicated on Wednesday that Williamson was no longer working for the office and later revealed that Williamson had been placed on leave in November 2024 after she informed the office that she was the subject of a criminal investigation. Her leave was not publicly disclosed at the time. Newsom’s office officially announced her departure and his appointment of a new chief of staff in December of that year.
Here’s what you should know:
Williamson, a longtime Democratic fixer on the Capitol circuit, worked as an adviser to former Gov. Gray Davis and as Cabinet secretary for former Gov. Jerry Brown before opening her own political affairs firm. She served as Becerra’s campaign manager when he ran for state attorney general in 2018.
She was named Newsom’s chief of staff in late 2022, a job she held for nearly two years.
Williamson is known for her witty and aggressive style, and is often not afraid to get into public and private disagreements with those who disagree with her.
Federal authorities said the investigation into Williamson began under the Biden administration more than three years ago.
The indictment, which was first reported by Sacramento beeIt includes 23 counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of justice, engaging in false tax returns, and making false statements.
She entered a not guilty plea in federal court on Wednesday.
Williamson is accused of devising a plan to help Sean McCluskey, Becerra’s longtime aide, withdraw $225,000 from one of Becerra’s dormant campaign accounts to cover his salary after he accepted a job as his chief of staff in Washington.
She then allegedly arranged for another person, an unnamed former public servant, to take over the operation before joining Newsom’s office.
Williamson reportedly forged business contracts related to Paycheck Protection Program loans her company received during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also allegedly submitted fraudulent tax forms from 2021 to 2023 to claim more than $1 million in business deductions for personal expenses, such as luxury handbags and jewelry; Travel by private plane; Holidays in Mexico. Installation of a home HVAC system; He paid several hundred thousand dollars to various relatives for bogus jobs.
She could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The federal indictment lists four other conspirators.
McCloskey, a former Becerra aide, signed a plea agreement on October 30 in which he admitted to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Lobbyist Greg Campbell also signed a plea deal in which he admits to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Prosecutors have not named the latest co-conspirator who took over handling the payments from Williamson when she joined Newsom’s office.
The scheme began after McCloskey agreed to take over as Becerra’s chief of staff in 2022, a role that took a pay cut of about $180,000, according to his plea agreement.
Williamson used her political consulting firm to bill Becerra’s campaign account for the alleged services. The money would then be sent to Campbell’s company as a conduit before reaching McCloskey’s wife.
Newsom is not named in the indictment, and it does not allege that Williamson committed any wrongdoing in connection with her job in state government.
But Williamson’s lawyer, McGregor Scott, He told the Los Angeles Times Federal authorities under the Biden administration asked her to cooperate in investigating the governor more than a year ago. He did not provide any details.
“She told them she had no information to provide them, and then today we ended up with these charges,” Scott said in a statement to the Times. He did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Newsom’s office said in a statement Thursday that the governor was not aware of any investigation related to him.
Scott was a U.S. attorney in Sacramento during President Donald Trump’s first term and under former President George W. Bush. He criticized the way the federal government handled Williamson’s arrest, saying it was not given the option to surrender and that federal authorities recognized Williamson faced serious health challenges.
Although the arrest sent shockwaves through Sacramento, few lawmakers, lobbyists or other Capitol insiders have commented on it publicly. Republican Representative David Tangipa said the indictment revealed broader problems. “This is not just one bad actor,” he said in a campaign email. “It is a sign of the broken culture of power and privilege in Sacramento.”
Williamson was released Wednesday on $500,000 bail under travel restrictions. Her house will be used as collateral.
As part of the conditions of her release, Williamson will have to surrender her passport and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs. She also cannot contact any of the conspirators.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 11.