Gavin Newsom’s Former Chief of Staff Cops to Massive Fraud, Tax Scam, and Lies to the Feds
Jeff Charles | May 15, 2026 12:15 PM
Dana Williamson, a longtime Democratic strategist and former chief of staff to California Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to federal investigators.
Williamson, 53, admitted that she helped to steal about $225,000 from a dormant campaign account tied to former Health and Human Services Secretary and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra. She falsely claimed over $1.7 million in personal expenses as business deductions on her taxes and lied to the FBI about the scheme, according to The Associated Press.
Williamson established herself as a powerful consultant and fixer for top Democrats in Sacramento before joining Newsom’s team. She later served as a senior campaign adviser to Becerra. She faced a 23-count federal indictment last year. But she gave her guilty plea in exchange for the prosecution dismissing the rest of the charges. She faces up to 38 years in prison and fines of up to about $1.35 million. However, her actual sentence will likely be lower due to federal guidelines.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2026/05/15/gavin-newsoms-former-chief-of-staff-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-xavier-becerras-campaign-funds-n2676110
