California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of ordering the United States Department of Justice to investigate him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
In a video, Newsom said the Trump administration is targeting him because he is “considering a run for president,” without giving details about the investigation.
“They’re abusing the grand jury process. They’re combing through years and years of random documents,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump isn’t coming after me just because of my harsh tweets. He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president.”
“Today, my wife and I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He directed the Department of Justice to investigate us. They didn’t find a crime — they’re simply trying to find one,” Newsom said.
According to a person with knowledge of the case, the Justice Department is investigating whether Newsom was aware of or participated in alleged wrongdoing involving his former chief of staff, who last month pleaded guilty in a federal fraud investigation.
Investigators are also looking at possible tax violations by Newsom and his wife, said the source, who requested anonymity because it is an ongoing investigation. The investigation, led by the federal prosecutor’s office in Sacramento, began last year, according to this person.
Representatives for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. The White House forwarded the questions to the Department of Justice itself.
Newsom, who said federal agents have knocked on the doors of family, friends and former employees, added that he welcomes any scrutiny on himself but that including his wife crosses a line.
“You can put my name on any and all enemies list you want, but leave my wife and my family out of your personal vendetta,” Newsom said of Trump.
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Neither the governor nor Siebel Newsom were subpoenaed, according to Newsom’s office.
Barred from running for a new term as governor of California, Newsom is seen as one of the frontrunners in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. He has raised his national profile with stances to confront Trump, including criticizing the president’s immigration policy and the proposal to redraw California’s electoral districts to favor Democrats.
Trump has been pushing the Justice Department to investigate political opponents, in a break with the distancing relationship that previous governments tended to maintain. Prosecutors have already advanced cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Although both deny wrongdoing and have seen charges thrown out by a judge, Comey was charged with another alleged offense in April.
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The president has repeatedly attacked Newsom, calling him “Newscum,” and in January said, without offering details, that a “fraud investigation” in California had begun.
Siebel Newsom, who uses the title of California’s first partner, is a documentary filmmaker and has addressed in her work the impacts of social media on young men and sexism. She has also faced criticism from conservatives and watchdog groups for donations to nonprofits linked to companies doing business in the state and the use of her films and educational materials in California schools.
“It is clear that there are no limits to what Donald Trump will do to get what he wants or to confront anyone who crosses his path,” said Siebel Newsom. “This is not presidential behavior, and the governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much better.”
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