California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back at the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday over claims that the federal investigation into him and those in his entourage is long-standing, insisting that he was targeted at the behest of Donald Trump.
Newsom, the likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, on Monday accused the Republican president of launching a criminal investigation into him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, calling it a “personal vendetta.”
A source at the Justice Department in Washington told AFP that was not the case, insisting that the investigation was not initiated by a “principal judge” but began about a year ago by the US attorney for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento after information from a whistleblower triggered it.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the investigation is focused on “tax activities” involving Newsom’s wife, a documentary producer, as well as activities involving his former chief of staff and possible current aides.
Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty in May to bank and wire fraud and other felony charges stemming from positions she held before working for the governor.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Newsom blasted “anonymous” sources for trying to confuse the situation.
“Please note the Department of Justice’s specific and consistent use of the word ‘origin’ in anonymous media statements yesterday,” the statement said.
“Under Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has shown a willingness to seize on almost any accusation, no matter how flimsy, to allow political appointees to weaponize the justice system against the president’s enemies.”
-“Looking for Crime”-
Newsom said in a video Monday that federal agents have interviewed friends and colleagues of him and his wife and have been sifting through “years of random documents.”
“Donald Trump is not just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said. “He’s coming to me because I’m considering running for president.
“He was going after my wife to get me,” he said.
The California governor noted that since returning to the White House last January, Trump has called for investigations into some of his perceived political opponents.
“Anyone who challenges Donald Trump is on his hit list,” Newsom said.
Newsom’s office noted in a statement Tuesday that Trump has publicly called for the governor’s arrest and claimed his allies are distorting reality to try to fulfill his boss’s wishes.
“Trump’s political appointees are pressuring prosecutors to build cases against Governor Newsom and the First Partner, and federal investigators have been looking for evidence of ‘wrongdoing.’
“Trump’s Justice Department picked a target and began looking for criminal conduct.”
California Sen. Alex Padilla condemned the investigation into his fellow Democrats.
“The Trump administration’s decision to investigate Governor Newsom fits a pattern: speak out against the president, hold him accountable for his corruption and failures, and then you become a target,” Padilla posted on X.
“Every American should be shocked when the nation’s top law enforcement agency is reduced to a tool of political revenge rather than an independent agency charged with impartial law enforcement.”
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
