JUST IN: FBI Arrests Gavin Newsom’s Chief Of Staff In Corruption Probe

Federal prosecutors slapped Dana Williamson, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, with public corruption charges Wednesday, according to a federal indictment.

Williamson, who exited the governor’s office in December 2024, is accused alongside political insiders Greg Campbell and Sean McCluskie of conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud. The feds say the crew faces 23 counts in total — 18 of which each carry a possible 20-year prison term and up to $250,000 in fines.

She’s expected to appear in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday afternoon. Williamson did not respond to a request for comment. McCluskie and Campbell couldn’t be reached, and it wasn’t clear whether any had secured legal counsel.

Prosecutors allege Williamson kept her fingerprints on the scheme even after joining Newsom’s administration — transferring control to another co-conspirator but staying involved behind the scenes.

Newsom’s office wasted no time distancing the governor from the scandal.

“Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration,” a spokesperson said. “While we are still learning details of the allegations, the Governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity. 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,” his office said.

McCluskie, a longtime aide to former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra — now running for governor — is also implicated. Between February 2022 and September 2024, prosecutors say Williamson and her co-conspirators siphoned roughly $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign account to line McCluskie’s pockets.

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The indictment further accuses Williamson of cooking the books to secure fraudulent federal COVID loans and padding her tax filings with bogus business deductions for lavish personal spending, including luxury Mexican getaways, jewelry, handbags, high-end furniture, and private jet trips.

A veteran Sacramento power player, Williamson, 53, had served three California governors — Jerry Brown, Gray Davis, and Newsom — and ran her own consulting outfit, Grace Public Affairs. Known for her sharp elbows and political savvy, she was a fixture in the Capitol until stepping down amid tensions over Proposition 36.

In her December farewell, Williamson struck a nostalgic tone: “It’s always hard to leave this work, but in two short years, we’ve made a lasting impact. I’ve had the honor of serving under three governors and when asked what I will miss the most, my answer is always the same — the privilege of working with some of the smartest and most committed people I’ve ever known.”

Campbell, who operated a lobbying firm called Campbell Strategy & Advocacy, allegedly helped funnel the stolen campaign funds through various accounts to McCluskie’s benefit. The cash was disguised as salary for McCluskie’s spouse in a “no-show” position, according to prosecutors.

The filings claim McCluskie, while overseeing the dormant campaign, approved $7,500 monthly “consulting” payments to Williamson, a kickback setup that investigators say netted the group about $225,000.

The indictment also lists a shopping spree of phony deductions — $15,353 for a Chanel handbag and ring, $19,000 for a home HVAC system, $10,000 to a relative, and $21,175 for private jet travel — all falsely claimed as business expenses.

The total tax fraud topped nearly $1 million, prosecutors say.

The charges hit less than a year after Newsom replaced Williamson with Nathan Barankin, a former Kamala Harris adviser, as his top aide.

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