Nearly four months have passed since California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) publicly and unexpectedly announced that President Trump was launching what Newsom described as a politically motivated federal investigation into him and his wife. Federal agents had “knocked on the doors” of family friends and former employees, the governor said at the time.
Since then, Newsom — widely seen as a 2028 Democratic presidential contender and one of Trump’s most vocal adversaries — has sought to take action. He hired prominent defense attorney Abbe Lowell and requested Department of Justice (DOJ) records while seeking to go on offense against Trump’s administration. Trump, the DOJ, and administration officials, for their part, have not said a word on the matter — something Democrats, including Newsom’s allies, find peculiar.
It has left an unusual political standoff between the two sides, with Newsom defending himself against an investigation that has not been officially disclosed. “I know nothing more than you know. Period. Full stop,” Newsom told reporters late last month when asked if he knew the latest on the DOJ’s investigation. “Never been contacted by anyone, and I continue to make this point. They continue to zig and zag, and I stand by everything I said in my opening remarks on this.”
“They are trying to find something anywhere abusing this process, and it is a disgrace,” the governor continued, before adding, “I know nothing more than you know.”
It’s left Democrats wondering what, if anything, Trump is planning, and how the governor will respond. It also comes as federal agents raided the Washington home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) earlier this week, leaving her property with several boxes of potential evidence. Omar has dismissed the probe as “delusional,” as reported.
Last month, The San Francisco Standard obtained federal subpoenas seeking six years of records involving the California State Protocol Foundation. The foundation — which is funded mostly by corporate donations and is run by a Newsom-appointed board — pays for the governor’s travel expenses. The foundation was created during former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) tenure to help cover travel costs for state officials and their aides, and to spare taxpayers. Every administration since then has tapped into the foundation’s funding.
The foundation has paid for Newsom’s international trips and some trips around the country. The Los Angeles Times reported that in 2020, the foundation paid for Newsom to travel to Miami for Super Bowl LIV, where he represented the state as the San Francisco 49ers played. The Standard reported that the subpoenas issued were for communications involving Steve Kawa — Newsom’s former chief of staff when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco and who headed the foundation — and Becca Prowda, the wife of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who works at the foundation.
Some Democrats have speculated that Trump may be trying to tie Newsom to his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who earlier this year accepted a plea deal after being accused of campaign finance fraud, political corruption, and tax fraud. Williamson is expected to be sentenced in December. Beyond the subpoenas and political chatter, however, the scope of the investigation remains unclear — including whether prosecutors are examining any wrongdoing by Newsom himself.
A Democratic consultant based in California stressed that foundation dollars have been used by multiple administrations. “And if this is about something illegal in the foundation, you would really have to show pay to play,” the consultant said. “It’s been strange from the beginning,” the consultant added. “The person who is being investigated is releasing the news and the person doing the investigation is quiet.” A spokesperson for the DOJ did not respond to questions on where the investigation stands.
Newsom has been a frequent critic of the president, regularly going after him on social media, in interviews, and speeches. He also led a successful redistricting fight last year in response to a redistricting effort in Texas, which could result in Democrats gaining House seats in California. After Trump suggested at a rally last week that he would allow Iran to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, Newsom led the charge among California Democrats, telling The Hill that the president was “mentally ill” and adding in a statement that it was “TIME FOR THE 25TH!” Newsom's remarks were particularly sharp, as he also called Trump “deranged” over the Iran comments.
Trump has also gone after Newsom on a string of occasions, calling him the worst governor in the country and saying Newsom can’t be president because of his dyslexia, which Trump called a “learning disability.” Still, the dynamics of any federal investigation of Newsom remain a mystery. “It’s hard to tell without knowing the details of what’s alleged,” said Gil Duran, who has served as an adviser to California politicians including former Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D). “Even though I’m not a fan of Newsom’s, it’s hard for me to not see this as a weaponization of Trump’s Justice Department.”
Newsom allies agree, saying it’s nothing more than Trump’s efforts to go after his adversaries. It’s “just another example of Trump’s unethical and illegal use of the Department of Justice to try to harass and tarnish opponents,” said Garry South, who has previously advised California Democrats. As Newsom weighs a potential 2028 White House run, he has branded himself a “disrupter,” a label he has embraced amid ongoing legal battles.
