Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back forcefully Friday after reports drew attention to political connections between FBI informant Alexis Podesta and the California governor, prompting a sharp response aimed at President Trump, the Justice Department and The California Post.
In a lengthy post on X, the Governor’s Press Office accused “MAGA bootlickers” of circulating “false information” and argued that there is “no evidence” tying Newsom to the federal corruption probe involving his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson. According to Williamson’s attorney, Podesta played a role in the investigation by wearing a wire.
The post adopted an unusually combative tone, portraying the federal inquiry as a “lawless fishing expedition” and accusing prosecutors of “chasing ghosts.” Newsom’s team also suggested the scrutiny surrounding the governor was politically motivated and driven by President Trump.
The governor’s office did not directly address Newsom’s decision to elevate Williamson to one of the most powerful staff positions in the Capitol during the period at issue. The statement referred to her formally as Ms. Williamson, despite her reputation among some Capitol insiders as a hard-charging and, at times, intimidating figure.
Newsom’s office followed the statement with an eight-part “FACT” series intended to rebut the claims and defend the governor’s position.
“There is no evidence that the alleged use of a wire on one of the FBI’s informants is in any way connected to the Governor,” Newsom staffers posted. “That investigation had nothing to do with the Governor.”
That argument responds to a claim The Post did not make.
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A story on Thursday reported that Williamson’s attorney said Podesta wore a wire while his client did not, providing a clearer view of how Podesta has been cooperating with the FBI’s pubic corruption probe in and around the Capitol.
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Many political insiders in Sacramento received notices last year from the feds saying they had been documented as part of a federal probe, leaving many to suspect that Williamson may have played a part in recording conversations.
“Alexis wore a wire, and Dana did not,” said McGregor Scott, Williamson’s lawyer.
The piece also documented Podesta’s longstanding political relationship with Newsom’s administration as a federal probe has now widened to focus on Newsom and the taxes of his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
While Podesta initially entered state government under former Gov. Jerry Brown, Newsom retained her after taking office and appointed her secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, a cabinet-level position she held until departing state government in 2020 to launch her Sacramento lobbying firm.
The Post also documented Podesta’s close working relationship with Williamson and the $61,000-a-year appointment she received from Newsom in 2020 to serve on the State Compensation Insurance Fund board.
Officials for the governor’s office argued that the story offered “no real evidence [Podesta] was in his ‘orbit.’”
“Under the Post’s theory, every one of the more than 2,000 appointees to boards and commissions is somehow an ‘ally’ and in the political orbit of the Governor,” officials wrote.
Federal investigators documented conversations between Podesta and Williamson discussing official state business, including a controversial lawsuit involving Activision Blizzard.
The unusual tone in the social media post may raise broader questions about how Newsom uses taxpayer time and resources, as the messaging could be seen by some as less about carrying out official state business and more designed to blast out campaign-style political messaging.
Several members of the Governor’s communications operation, including senior press officials Izzy Gardon and Brandon Richards, also hold roles with Newsom’s federal political action committee, Campaign for Democracy.
Richards was paid more than $27,000 from the PAC in late 2025 and he received another $9,300 in travel reimbursements this year, according to federal campaign filings. Gardon declined to answer questions about his status as a paid employee of Newsom’s PAC.
The governor’s office concluded its tweet storm Friday by saying that reporting on Podesta’s involvment in wiretaps was “not news.”
