When Gov. Gavin Newsom dropped his June 15th video announcement that he and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom were under federal investigation, he seemed almost eager for what came next. His office issued a fact sheet telling reporters it was“sure”the subpoenas were coming.“The governor looks forward to it,”they said. Three weeks later, neither Newsom nor his wife has received a single subpoena or even a call from federal investigators to sit down for an interview.
The investigation itself isn’t new—sources tell KCRA 3 that multiple federal probes involving people connected to the governor have been running for about a year through the U.S. Attorney’s office in Sacramento. One tracks tax activity tied to Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit organizations. Another concerns staff misconduct in the governor’s office, including his former chief of staff Dana Williamson, who was indicted in November on wire fraud and false tax charges. Williamson took a plea deal in May that dropped all but three charges against her.
Newsom has framed this as political persecution orchestrated by the Trump administration, but sources within the Trump administration have pushed back, saying the investigations stem from complaints originating in Sacramento itself. That distinction matters—it suggests local concerns, not a directive from Washington, are driving the federal machinery.
What’s striking isn’t just the wait. It’s the silence. When KCRA 3 reached out to the nonprofits Siebel Newsom oversees—The Representation Project and the California Partner’s Project—neither responded. The same goes for the Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that bankrolls the governor’s office activities he’d rather not charge to California taxpayers. The tight-lipped approach extends to everyone peripherally named: Alexis Podesta, the Sacramento consultant accused of wearing a wire in the Williamson case, declined comment through his attorney. Williamson’s own lawyer has maintained she found no governor misconduct to report to investigators.
The governor hasn’t publicly said whether he’s hired his own attorney—KCRA 3 still doesn’t know as of Monday. That’s the kind of detail that usually gets announced, which makes its absence conspicuous. Meanwhile, federal agents continue knocking on doors of family friends and former employees. No subpoena yet. No interview scheduled. Just waiting, and wondering what comes next.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
