A woman who was once one of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s most trusted lieutenants has found herself in the crosshairs of the FBI.
And it’s not looking great for her.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California dropped a bombshell news release stating that Dana Williamson, Newsom’s chief of staff from 2022 to 2024, had been indicted on a litany of charges.
The 53-year-old Williamson has been charged by a federal grand jury with “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,” the DOJ announced.
In total, the indictment included 23 counts, according to the release.
Williamson was arrested by federal officials on Wednesday, according to The Sacramento Bee, which first broke the news of the indictment. She pleaded innocent to all counts and was released on $500,000 bond, the Bee reported.
“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said in the news release. “As it always has, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption.”
“Today’s charges are the result of three years of relentless investigative work, in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel said in the release. “The FBI will remain vigilant in its efforts to uncover fraud and corruption, ensuring our government systems are held to the highest standards.”
“Disguising personal luxuries as business expenses—especially to claim improper tax deductions or to willfully file fraudulent tax returns is a serious criminal offense with severe consequences,” IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen said in the release.
If found guilty, should Williamson be sentenced to the maximum punishment?
Citing court documents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged that Williamson, between February 2022 and September 2024, conspired with others to move funds from a dormant political campaign to an associate. Williamson apparently was helping funnel these funds for the associate’s personal use.
And it was a notable amount. Williamson is accused of helping make approximately $225,000 available to this associate.
“Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay for what was, in reality, a no-show job,” the news release stated.
Williamson is also embroiled in a number of other shocking allegations, according to the release, including:
She and a business associate created false, backdated contracts after being handed a subpoena in 2024 regarding Paycheck Protection Program loans made to Williamson’s business.
She also subscribed to false tax returns claiming over a million dollars in business deductions, for what were actually personal expenses such as “private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags, as well as deductions for no-show jobs for friends and family.”
Worse yet, when FBI agents first confronted her about these myriad of allegations, she made false statements.
Newsom, for his part, seemed ready to wash his hands of all this since Williamson was no longer on his team — and hinted that this may have been a political witch hunt from the Trump administration.
“While we are still learning details of the allegations, the Governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” a Newsom representative said via statement, according to Politico.
“At a time when the President is openly calling for his Attorney General to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of one’s peers.”
If convicted, according to the release, Williamson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud; up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to obstruct and making a false statements; and up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each count of subscribing to a false tax return.
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