California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and longtime political rival of Republican President Donald Trump, announced on Monday that the President has ordered the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife. The specific nature of the alleged investigation remains unclear.
In a video posted on X, Newsom stated that federal agents have recently contacted his friends and former employees, requesting records. He asserted that this is not because a crime has been discovered, but because the administration is actively seeking one.
"Donald Trump isn't just coming after me because of my mean tweets," Newsom said, referencing his social media posts mocking the President. "He's coming after me because I'm considering running for president, because he hates that I've consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit." Newsom labeled the President as "corrupt" and characterized the alleged investigation as another instance of the administration abusing the justice system to target political opponents, drawing parallels to the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey.
A source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that multiple federal investigations are underway involving individuals close to Newsom, including one related to his wife's taxes. These probes reportedly began last year following whistleblower complaints within California government, and political leadership in Washington was not involved in the decision to initiate them.
This investigation is the latest in a series of Justice Department actions against Trump's perceived adversaries, a trend that has drawn criticism that the administration is using the law enforcement agency as a political weapon. Other targets have included former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.