XPost: alt.fraud, ca.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.guns   
   From: pscent@oregon.us   
      
   Gov. Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and three   
   co-conspirators were indicted Wednesday on 23 counts of bank and wire   
   fraud, allegedly committed from 2022 to 2024, during her time working   
   for the governor.   
      
   The indictment, first reported by the Sacramento Bee, alleges that   
   Williamson, a longtime Democratic strategist, worked with Greg Campbell,   
   a prominent Sacramento lobbyist, and Sean McCluskie, the former chief of   
   staff to former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra,   
   as well as two other unnamed co-conspirators to steal $225,000 from an   
   unnamed former official's dormant campaign account for McCluskie's   
   personal use.   
      
   "Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities   
   and disguised it as pay for what was, in reality, a no-show job," FBI   
   Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel said in a news release.   
      
   Prosecutors allege that Williamson and one of the unnamed   
   co-conspirators, described only as a former California public official   
   who owned a political consulting firm, used their political strategy   
   firms to funnel money out of a campaign account, believed to be   
   Becerra's, into an account controlled by McCluskie. They allegedly   
   disguised the funds as payments for McCluskie's spouse, who was   
   described in the indictment as a stay-at-home parent.   
      
   Williamson is also accused of falsely claiming more than $1.7 million in   
   business expenses on her taxes. She used the funds to purchase luxury   
   handbags, chartered jets and a nearly $170,000 birthday trip to Mexico,   
   the indictment alleges.   
      
   Williamson, wearing what appeared to be a gray robe and in shackles,   
   broke into tears from time to time at her arraignment hearing Wednesday   
   afternoon in Sacramento. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and her   
   attorney demanded a jury trial. Williamson is expected to be released on   
   a $500,000 unsecured bond and put her house up as collateral. She has   
   until Nov. 26 to post bond.   
      
   She will be released under supervision and must surrender her passport   
   and other travel documents, among other conditions for her release. Her   
   attorney, Matthew Rowan, declined to speak to reporters following the   
   arraignment.   
      
   Williamson, who previously held a high-level position in Gov. Jerry   
   Brown's administration, was well known for her negotiating ability. When   
   she left his office, Newsom said in a statement that he would miss her   
   "insight, tenacity and big heart."   
      
   The indictment indicated that Becerra had no knowledge of the scheme,   
   and he confirmed as much Wednesday afternoon in a written statement via   
   his spokesperson, Owen Kilmer.   
      
   "The news today of formal accusations of impropriety by a long-serving   
   trusted advisor are a gut punch," said Becerra, a prominent candidate to   
   succeed Newsom in next year's gubernatorial election. He added that he   
   had fully cooperated with the U.S. Justice Department and would continue   
   to do so.   
      
   "As California's former Attorney General, I fully comprehend the   
   importance of allowing this investigation and legal process to run its   
   course through our justice system."   
      
   A spokesperson for Newsom distanced the governor from his former top   
   aide.   
      
   "While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor   
   expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of   
   integrity," said Izzy Gardon, Newsom's spokesperson, in a written   
   statement.   
      
   "At a time when the President is openly calling for his Attorney General   
   to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to   
   honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a   
   court of law by a jury of one's peers," the statement said.   
      
   Patel, the special agent in charge, said in a news release that the   
   charges were "the result of three years of relentless investigative   
   work."   
      
   Prosecuting attorney Michael Anderson said Wednesday that prosecutors   
   will hand over more than 27,000 pages of documents and an additional 750   
   gigabytes of evidence related to the case as part of the discovery   
   process.   
      
   CalMatters' Yue Stella Yu contributed to this report.   
      
   https://www.capradio.org/articles/2025/11/12/gavin-newsoms-former-chief-o   
   f-staff-arrested-on-allegations-of-bank-and-wire-fraud/   
      
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