(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Gavin Newsom and Xavier Becerra could avoid deeper scrutiny in a political corruption scandal involving several former aides and consultants after Newsom’s former chief of staff secured a plea deal, a defense attorney said Friday.
Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff, entered a plea agreement that dropped harsher charges tied to a scheme to siphon $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant attorney general campaign account. Five other individuals were implicated in the scheme but have already entered guilty pleas.
As part of the agreement, Williamson will not be required to cooperate with federal investigators in any potential probe involving Newsom, California’s governor, and Becerra, now viewed as a frontrunner to succeed him in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Her attorney, McGregor Scott, said the plea deal resulted from negotiations between the defense and investigators.
“I’m a good lawyer,” Scott told KCRA 3 News.
Dana Williamson's attorney told reporters she's not helping in any investigation into Gavin Newsom or Xavier Becerra as part of today's plea deal.
I asked him how so many of her charges were dropped.
He said negotiations were extremely respectful, with a lot of back and forth: pic.twitter.com/TXCnx228hO
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) May 14, 2026
Williamson’s plea deal appears to bring an end to a political scandal that rocked California. It remains unclear whether Newsom or Becerra will face any investigative scrutiny.
Becerra has long claimed he believed the payments were for account management services rather than part of a scheme to steal the money for the personal use of the co-conspirators.
