California has been under Democratic Party rule for decades, and because of that, the state has suffered under an avalanche of bad policies and corruption.
And that hasn’t changed under current Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, apparently.
And now, questions surrounding Newsom’s political operation continue to grow as new details emerge about a widening federal investigation that has already reached some of his closest allies.
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A new report suggests investigators were gathering evidence much earlier—and much more extensively—than many in California’s political establishment realized.
According to a New York Post report, the FBI had a confidential cooperator within Newsom’s political orbit long before the federal investigation expanded to include the governor and his wife.
The report identifies longtime Democratic operative Alexis Podesta as the individual who secretly recorded conversations during the federal corruption investigation involving Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson.
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Williamson pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and making false statements to the FBI.
Her attorney, former U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott, confirmed to the New York Post that Podesta cooperated with investigators while Williamson did not.
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“Alexis wore a wire, and Dana did not,” Scott told the newspaper.
According to the report, Podesta was secretly recording conversations as early as June 2024.
The revelation helps explain why numerous Sacramento political insiders and lobbyists reportedly received FBI notification letters last fall informing them that some of their phone conversations had been intercepted during the investigation.
Several recipients reportedly said they had little or no connection to Williamson and were surprised to learn they had been recorded.
Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover told the New York Post he was among those who received such a letter despite never speaking with either Williamson or Podesta.
“A lot of people received letters essentially informing us that there were certain periods of time where the FBI was given access to follow phone calls,” Hoover said.
“I don’t know how these investigations work, but it sounds like they cast a pretty broad net across the Capitol community to see what they could find.”
Another source familiar with the matter told the newspaper that multiple Sacramento political figures received similar notifications.
One recipient reportedly said, “Dude, I got this f—ing letter. I never even met with Dana Williamson!”
Newsom announced last month that he, his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and members of his inner circle were under federal investigation.
The governor has accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to target him for political reasons ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
According to the New York Post, however, sources familiar with the investigation said federal authorities have spent the past year examining not only Newsom but also members of his staff and his wife’s finances, following whistleblower complaints.
Podesta has not been charged with any crime.
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Her attorney, Bill Portanova, has identified her as the uncharged co-conspirator referenced in Williamson’s indictment and confirmed she cooperated with federal investigators.
The governor’s office declined to comment on Podesta’s role, telling the newspaper it was a personnel matter.
According to federal court records, prosecutors allege Williamson participated in a scheme that diverted approximately $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Prosecutors say the money was disguised as consulting payments that ultimately benefited Becerra’s former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie.
Court filings also allege Williamson shared confidential state government information with a co-conspirator later identified as Podesta regarding state litigation involving Activision Blizzard.
Williamson’s plea agreement states that investigators captured a June 2024 conversation in which the two discussed responding to a California Public Records Act request related to that litigation.
Hoover said the expanding investigation continues to raise serious questions about Newsom’s administration.
“All of this stuff just raises so many questions,” Hoover said.
“What is going on in this administration? What types of conversations are being had?” he said, The New York Post reported.
“I think the entire case should be really concerning for the general public. It’s really raising a lot of mistrust,” he said.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
