(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A federal grand jury indicted California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff in a sweeping corruption and fraud scheme spanning 23 counts, according to court records.
Dana Williamson, a self-described political consultant, worked for Newsom from January 2023 to December 2024. Prosecutors claimed she conspired to divert $225,000 from then-California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s campaign after then-President Joe Biden tapped him to serve as health secretary.
Williamson and Becerra’s former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, allegedly funneled the funds by billing the dormant campaign for fake consulting work through Williamson’s firm. These payments were for a job that was never performed, prosecutors alleged.
🚨🚨🚨 WHOA: Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, was arrested today after a three-year joint FBI-IRS investigation and charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice.
Charges include illegally funneling… pic.twitter.com/eXQX4QUcaB
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) November 12, 2025
The indictment also accused Williamson of conspiring to seek fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and to backdate fake contracts after receiving a civil subpoena from a U.S. Attorney’s Office in California in 2024.
Prosecutors also alleged that Williamson filed false tax returns by claiming over $1 million in fabricated business deductions, including jet travel, luxury hotels, home furnishings and designer bags. Other dubious deductions included payments to friends and allies for no-show jobs.
According to the FBI, Williamson lied to agents about the diverted campaign funds, the backdated PPP contracts, and other aspects of the probe.
The case is being led by the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
If convicted, Williamson faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of bank or wire fraud.
She could also be hit with five years for each obstruction and false statement count, and up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine per count of filing false tax returns.
McCluskie entered a plea deal with prosecutors on Oct. 30, agreeing to pay $225,000 in restitution to Becerra.
In response to the indictment, Newsom said, “Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration. While we are still learning details of the allegations, the Governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity.”
