Gavin Newsom Calls DOJ Probe Into Him and His Wife 'Political Witch Hunt'

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Monday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating him and his wife in what he called a "political witch hunt."

2028 Presidential Run: Outlets on the left, like the New York Times (Lean Left bias) and Los Angeles Times (Lean Left) tended to highlight the governor saying that President Donald Trump is targeting him, not for his "mean tweets," but because he is "considering running for president," adding that "to get me, he's coming after my wife." Both outlets also highlighted him describing the investigation as a "fishing expedition," saying federal agents are sifting through "years and years of random documents" in hopes of "try[ing] to find evidence of an unspecified crime."

"Call It Accountability": Outlets on the right, like the New York Post Opinion (Right) and One America News Network (Right) often focused more on California's "first partner," Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the fact that she is "a public figure, a political actor, and a participant in California's influence ecosystem." Jon Fleischman, writing for the Post's opinion column, said Gov. Newsom's framing of the investigation "deserves a harder look." It is not a case of "the governor's wife caught in a crossfire," according to Fleischman, but because she is the founder of multiple non-profits and a public advocate who has used her position to influence public policy, these "same activities cannot suddenly become off limits the moment investigators start asking questions." Fleischman also asserted that "Questions are not convictions. Investigations are not indictments. But neither are they political persecution simply because the governor declares them to be."

The Announcement: The California governor said "You [Trump and the DOJ] can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta." He also said that "One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list," and added "today, I proudly join that list."

The Investigation: Multiple reports claim that there are at least two probes involving the Newsom family. One focuses on Jennifer Siebel Newsom's taxes, and another is examining her non-profit organizations, which includes California Partners Project and the Representation Project. An anonymous source told the Los Angeles Times that one of the probes involves Gov. Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who plead guilty last month to three felonies in what the New York Times article called a "sprawling corruption case."

Related: Did Gov. Newsom's Wife Pay Herself $3.7M From Her Charity?

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