Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the Department of Justice is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, claiming the probe is politically motivated because he is “considering running for president.”
“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family, friends, and former employees,” Newsom said in a social media video. “Not because they found a crime, but because they’re simply trying to find one.”
The California governor, a Democrat, did not specify exactly what the DOJ is investigating. However, his office told reporters that it believes grand jury subpoenas were issued for financial records, and that investigators have asked about specific transactions. Newsom’s office said it has not seen any subpoenas and noted that banks are legally prohibited from disclosing to customers that they have received one.
“You can subpoena my records, you can investigate me, you can harass me, put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta,” Newsom said.
The Investigation
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that in 2025, investigators in California began examining Newsom’s wife’s taxes. Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker, leads two organizations focused on gender equity: the nonprofit Representation Project and the California Partners Project.
The investigation is believed to be run out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, where Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty in May to bank fraud and other charges. That case did not involve any allegations of criminality or wrongdoing by Newsom or his wife.
Newsom’s office said it is pursuing a public records request for documents and communications from the DOJ referencing him and his wife. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
The Political Context
Though Newsom has not officially announced a 2028 presidential run, he has confirmed he is open to a bid and is widely considered a frontrunner. He has toured the national media circuit, hosts a podcast, and often engages in social media fights with Trump.
Newsom claimed in the video that he is just the latest person to challenge the president and end up on his “hit list.” He tied the investigation to Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, as attorney general.
The Trump administration has initiated multiple criminal investigations into opponents of the president, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York State Attorney General Letitia James — both of whom had their charges dismissed by federal judges.
Trump has publicly gone after Newsom before. In June 2025, he called for Newsom’s arrest as protesters clashed with the Trump-deployed National Guard in Los Angeles. At the time, border czar Tom Homan refused to rule out arresting state and local officials if they obstructed immigration operations. Newsom told Homan to come and arrest him, and Trump encouraged Homan to do so.
“Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump said at the time. Trump later said that the crime Newsom committed was “running for governor because he’s done such a bad job.”
The Bottom Line
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the Department of Justice is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, claiming the probe is politically motivated because he is considering a presidential run. Newsom said federal agents have contacted family and friends in what he called a “fishing expedition.” His office believes grand jury subpoenas were issued for financial records. The investigation is believed to be run out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.
