Newsom accuses Trump of directing politically motivated investigation

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to undertake a politically motivated investigation of him and his wife.

"Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets," Newsom said in a video statement posted to X. "He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President."

Federal law enforcement officers in Sacramento, California, have been conducting several investigations related to the governor, including into his wife, since 2025, a person familiar with the matter said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The person added that the investigations did not originate in Washington but in California.

Newsom is frequently cited as a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Term-limited in his current role, Newsom has ramped up his national profile, visited early primary states and stated he would "be lying" if he said he was not considering a White House run.

The investigation into the governor's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is related to her taxes, the person familiar with the matter said. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it related to a nonprofit organization co-founded by Siebel Newsom that promotes gender equity.

The nonprofit, California Partners Project, has received donations from some donors that do business with California, and Gavin Newsom has solicited more than $4 million in donations to the group since 2020, state disclosures show.

Representatives of the California Partners Project did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment.

NEWSOM ACCUSES TRUMP OF PERSONAL VENDETTA

Newsom said federal agents had in recent days been knocking on the doors of members of his family, friends and former employees demanding records and digging through years-old documents.

"Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one," he said.

The investigations surrounding Newsom have expanded since Todd Blanche took over as acting attorney general, the governor said.

Speaking directly to Trump in the video, Newsom said: "You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on every and any enemy’s list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta."

YEARS OF POLITICAL CONFLICT

Newsom and Trump have long been critical of each other, clashing on major issues including climate change, pipelines and the Republican president's deployment of National Guard troops to the state last summer.

Last year, Trump said he would support Newsom being arrested over his alleged obstruction of immigration enforcement in California. In November, federal prosecutors brought charges against Newsom's former chief of staff for acts she committed before working for Newsom. She pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.

Since Trump returned to office for a second term, his Justice Department has brought criminal charges against several of the president's perceived political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York state Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser John Bolton.

The department has also opened investigations ‌into U.S. officials who concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to boost Trump's first campaign, Democratic lawmakers who urged U.S. military personnel to refuse unlawful orders and liberal donors and fundraising groups.

A tally by Reuters published in November 2025 found at least 470 people, organizations and institutions had been targeted for retribution by the administration since the beginning of Trump's second term.

Reuters

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