Details continue to emerge about the Department of Justice's investigation into California Governor Gavin Newsom, his wife, Siebel Newsom, and his chief of staff, after the governor released a nearly five-minute video Monday revealing the probe and accusing President Trump of using his office to target political opponents.
Since announcing the investigation, Newsom's office has filed a FOIA request demanding the "release [of] any and all records on the Trump DOJ’s politically motivated, baseless fishing expedition."
My office is demanding the Trump Administration release any and all records on the Trump DOJ’s politically motivated, baseless fishing expedition.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) June 16, 2026
The American people deserve to know who ordered this abuse of power and how far it goes. pic.twitter.com/9zzT6DW1aX
Newsom's wife also responded to the investigation, similarly accusing the president of abusing his political power.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way," California's First Partner said in a statement. "This is not presidential behavior, and the Governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much more.”
Statement from @JenSiebelNewsom:
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) June 15, 2026
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way. This is not presidential behavior, and the Governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people… https://t.co/5WVsWIzeEp
The Department of Justice has so far declined to comment.
This comes as sources familiar with the investigation told Townhall that several ongoing probes involving Newsom originated from whistleblowers inside Sacramento, rather than being initiated by the DOJ. According to the sources, Newsom's wife’s taxes and his chief of staff are also subjects of the investigation. It remains unclear what specific allegations investigators are examining or whether any wrongdoing has been identified.
NEW: A source familiar confirms with @townhallcom that there are numerous investigations ongoing into Gavin Newsom for about a year now, and they stemmed from whistleblowers in California— *not* DOJ.
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) June 15, 2026
Topics: his wife’s taxes and his chief of staff, according to the source. https://t.co/nNSuUPdMMC
However, Newsom's office also provided Townhall with a "fact sheet" claiming that no wrongdoing or crime has occurred. They stated that the investigation is not built on any real evidence.
Newsom’s office sent @townhallcom this “fact sheet,” which says that “Federal agents are looking for a crime that does NOT exist. This is not an
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) June 15, 2026
investigation built on evidence.” https://t.co/ZMCykNP2pZ pic.twitter.com/xuskWXDfwD
This comes as questions have long surrounded Siebel Newsom, who is deeply involved in the political world through her husband. In particular, she runs two nonprofits, the Representation Project and the California Partners Project, both of which focus on social activism.
Siebel Newsom's role in these organizations has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest and influence-peddling, as many question whether her proximity to the governor has benefited the nonprofits she oversees.
Through just one of those organizations, she has reportedly received roughly $3.7 million over the past decade, raising further questions about the relationship between her advocacy work and her family's political influence.