Former Chief of Staff For Governor Gavin Newsom Indicted – LAmag

Dana Williamson, a longtime political consultant, was the subject of a “multiyear investigation,” by the FBI for a slew of corruption-related crimes, prosecutors say

A former Chief of Staff for Governor Gavin Newsom was arrested Wednesday after what federal prosecutors call a “multiyear investigation” into pilfered campaign cash that allegedly propped up a lifestyle of “private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags, as well as deductions for no-show jobs for friends and family.”

Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, was charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for California’s Eastern District announced Wednesday. The 23-count indictment was unsealed following Williamson’s arrest.

Prosecutors say Williamson, who served as the governor’s top aide from 2022 until 2024, is accused of helping funnel around $225,000 from a dormant campaign account apparently belonging to former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to Becerra’s former chief of staff Sean McCluskie. McCluskie appears to be cooperating with federal prosecutors, as is Sacramento lobbyist Greg Campbell, who was part of the alleged scheme.

According to the indictment, Williamson and another unnamed co-conspirator transferred money from Becerra’s state campaign account to Campbell’s firm for purported consulting services. Then, according to court documents, Campbell’s firm sent thousands of dollars a month to a third-party payroll provider, which paid McCluskie. The payments were disguised as pay for a no-show job supposedly performed by McCluskie’s spouse, according to the indictment.

“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” Grant said. That timeline puts Williamson as a top executive in the Governor’s office as federal investigators were probing her for corruption.

Williamson is also accused of cheating on her taxes by putting roughly $1 million in luxury expenses on her returns as business appropriations, prosecutors say. Those bogus business expenses include an HVAC system for her house, a $15,000-plus Chanel handbag and ring, a $10,000 payment to one of her relatives, a $21,000 private jet trip, and a watch worth more than $9,000 for a close friend, according to the indictment. She also deducted an $11,000 yacht rental along with luxury hotel stays during a birthday trip in Mexico, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors say Williamson lied to FBI agents about the scheme involving Becerra’s campaign money. She is also suspected of feeding inside information to a company regarding a lawsuit by the state of California.

“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,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “IRS-CI will pursue charges against those who deliberately exploit their business for personal enrichment.”

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When Williamson left Newsom’s office, while under investigation, the Governor released a statement praising her as a “fighter” with a “big heart.”

“I greatly appreciate Dana’s counsel and her service to the state and the people of California over the last two years,” Newsom said in 2024. “Her insight, tenacity, and big heart will be missed.”