New York Post reports Gov. Gavin Newsom praised chief of staff later linked to federal FBI wiretap probe

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a New York Post report, publicly praised his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, while the FBI investigation tied to a separate wiretap probe was still active. The report, published July 3, describes a record of Williamson’s rise and exit from the governor’s office alongside subsequent federal litigation allegations that the outlet says culminated in a plea agreement in May.

The New York Post reported that Newsom issued a statement in December 2024 thanking Williamson for her “counsel and…service” to California and describing her departure as a “hero’s departure,” even as the FBI was reportedly investigating her. The outlet also says Williamson was interviewed by the FBI in November 2024, was placed on leave afterward, and left the governor’s office in December.

According to the New York Post, the federal investigation centered on a wiretap operation involving individuals tied to Williamson’s circle, including an associate identified by the outlet as Alexis Podesta. The outlet says that as part of the probe, Podesta wore a wire and recorded conversations beginning in June 2024, with the reporting presented as part of the federal investigation narrative.

The New York Post further states that in May Williamson agreed to resolve the federal case after allegations involving conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, the filing of a false tax return, and false statements to the FBI. Under the reporting standards required here, those elements are presented as claims attributed to the New York Post, and no Department of Justice docket or plea filing was included in the provided materials to independently confirm the case’s procedural posture.

The report also describes the purported financial scope of the alleged fraud scheme as the misappropriation of $225,000 from a dormant campaign account associated with Xavier Becerra, described by the outlet as a “likely successor” to Newsom. As with other case details, the figure and characterization are attributed to the New York Post and are not verified by a Department of Justice document in the provided record.

Separately, the provided Department of Justice materials in the packet do not identify the Williamson matter or any related prosecutor filings. The cached DOJ pages included staff profile entries and do not provide an official anchor for the claimed plea or case facts, leaving the central “what happened in federal court” chronology dependent on the New York Post reporting unless additional official filings are located.

If Department of Justice court records confirm the reported timeline, the case would illustrate how federal corruption probes and state executive staffing decisions can coexist while investigations are ongoing. In that scenario, the practical questions for regulators and investigators would include the timing of FBI interviews, the point at which internal reviews or administrative actions occurred within the governor’s office, and the accuracy and completeness of any representations made to state officials during the period in question. If officials or counsel dispute specific allegations, the record would likely turn on the plea agreement terms and any related court filings describing conduct and factual stipulations.