Things to know about the federal corruption charges against Newsom’s ex-chief of staff

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff was arrested and indicted on federal corruption charges this week, roughly a year after she disclosed the investigation to Newsom’s office and was placed on leave.

Dana Williamson is accused of helping in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, filling fraudulent tax forms for personal expenses and making false statements to law enforcement.

Neither Becerra nor Newsom are accused of any wrongdoing in the indictment. Becerra, now a candidate for California governor, called the news “a gut punch.”

Newsom’s office noted Wednesday that Williamson no longer worked in the office and later revealed Williamson had been placed on leave in November 2024 after telling the office she was under criminal investigation. Her leave was not publicly disclosed at the time. Newsom’s office formally announced her departure and his hiring of a new chief of staff that December.

Here’s what to know:

A political power player

A longtime Democratic power broker in the Capitol circle, Williamson worked as an adviser to former Gov. Gray Davis and as a 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 roughly two years.

Williamson is known for her savvy and aggressive style, often unafraid to spar publicly and privately with those who disagree with her.

Federal authorities said the investigation into Williamson began under the Biden administration more than three years ago.

Charges of fraud, false statements

The indictment, first reported by the Sacramento Bee, includes 23 charges of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements.

She entered a not guilty plea in federal court Wednesday.

Williamson is accused of developing a plan to help Sean McCluskie, a longtime Becerra aide, siphon $225,000 from one of Becerra’s dormant state campaign accounts to pad 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 official, to take over the operation before joining Newsom’s office.

Williamson is said to falsify business contracts related to Paycheck Protection Program loans that her business received during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also allegedly filed 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; private jet travel; vacations in Mexico; installation of a home HVAC system; and several hundred thousand dollars paid to various relatives for fake jobs.

She could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The other co-conspirators

The federal indictment lists four other co-conspirators.

McCluskie, Becerra’s ex-aide, signed a plea agreement Oct. 30 in which he admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Lobbyist Greg Campbell also signed a plea deal admitting to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Prosecutors didn’t name the last co-conspirator, who took over handling the payments from Williamson when she joined Newsom’s office.

The scheme began after McCluskie agreed to take the job as Becerra’s chief of staff in 2022, a role that resulted in a pay cut of roughly $180,000, according to his plea agreement.

Williamson used her political consulting company to bill Becerra’s campaign account for purported services. The money would then be sent to Campbell’s company as a conduit before reaching McCluskie’s wife.

Newsom not accused of wrongdoing

Newsom is not mentioned in the indictment, and it does not allege any wrongdoing by Williamson related to her state government job.

But Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, told Los Angeles Times that federal authorities under the Biden administration asked her to cooperate in a probe into the governor more than a year ago. He didn’t provide any details.

“She told them she had no information to provide them, and then we wind up today 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 the governor was unaware of any investigation involving him, a spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.

Scott was the U.S. attorney in Sacramento during President Donald Trump’s first term and under former President George W. Bush. He criticized how the federal government handled Williamson’s arrest, saying she was not given an option to surrender and that federal authorities are aware that Williamson is undergoing serious health challenges.

Though the arrest sent shock waves in Sacramento, few lawmakers, lobbyists or other Capitol insiders have publicly commented on it. Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa said the indictment revealed wider problems. “This is not just one bad actor,” he said in a campaign email. “It’s a symptom of a broken culture of power and privilege in Sacramento.”

Williamson released on bond

Williamson was released Wednesday on a $500,000 bond under travel restrictions. Her house will be used as collateral.

As part of her conditions for release, Williamson will have to surrender her passport and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs. She also cannot contact any of the co-conspirators.

The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 11.