California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democrat and longtime political adversary of President Donald Trump, announced Monday that the president has directed 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 visited the homes of his friends and former employees, requesting records "not because they found a crime, but because they’re simply trying to find one." Newsom asserted that the investigation is politically motivated, saying, "Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets. 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." He accused the president of being "corrupt" and characterized the investigation as an abuse of the justice system to target political opponents, citing the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey.
A person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed multiple federal investigations into individuals connected to Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes. These probes reportedly began last year following whistleblower complaints within the California government, and political leadership in Washington was not involved in the decision to initiate them.
This development marks the latest in a series of Justice Department investigations involving Trump's adversaries, a pattern that has drawn criticism that the administration is weaponizing the agency for political purposes. Other targets include former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
The situation continues to unfold, with implications for the upcoming presidential race and the broader political landscape.