The former chief of staff to California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom was charged Wednesday in connection with a complicated scheme to steal funds from a campaign account previously belonging to former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

The Justice Department unveiled a 23-count indictment against 53-year-old Democrat consultant Dana Williamson, charging her with bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements. Williamson, who worked for Newsom between 2022 and 2024, is accused of participating in a scheme to divert $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign account.

“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “As it always has, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption.”

The indictment alleges that Williamson worked with lobbyist Greg Campbell and former Becerra chief of staff Sean McCluskie to funnel funds from the dormant campaign account. Prosecutors say the scheme operated between February 2022 and September 2024.

Indictment

Both McCluskie and Campbell accepted plea deals last month related to the scheme. 

“Mr. Campbell takes full accountability for his actions and is cooperating fully with the legal process,” Todd Pickles, a lawyer for Campbell, said in a statement. He added that Campbell is “an honorable former public servant and a positive and respected member of the community who has conducted himself with integrity through this deeply challenging process.”

The indictment also alleged that Williamson claimed more than $1 million in fraudulent tax deductions. This includes claiming deductions for items like a $15,353 Chanel handbag and ring, a $5,818 Fendi handbag and wallet, a $19,498 heating and cooling system at her home, a $9,859 watch, a $6,324 couch for her home, a $21,175 private jet charter, a $15,662 luxury hotel stay on her birthday, and $156,302 for a luxury vacation in Mexico, according to the indictment. 

Williamson pleaded not guilty to the charges during an appearance in federal court on Wednesday. Footage shared online by California political reporter Ashley Zavala showed her exiting the courthouse without responding to questions from reporters.

Here’s what happened when Dana Williamson— Gov. Newsom’s former Chief of Staff— emerged from federal court.

She stayed pretty silent and said we could talk to her attorneys. Her attorney wouldn’t talk.

She had nothing to say when I asked for her message to Xavier Becerra: pic.twitter.com/hbgOtvhLsp

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) November 13, 2025

McGregor Scott, Williamson’s lawyer, accused the Trump administration of showboating in its handling of the case. 

“They chose the grandstanding route,” he told the New York Times. “The only conclusion I can draw is this is the latest misstep taken down the wrong road by the Trump Justice Department.”

If convicted, Williamson could face decades in prison and penalties totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Becerra, who is running for governor of California, said he was cooperating with federal authorities. 

“The news today of formal accusations of impropriety by a long-serving trusted advisor are a gut punch,” he said. “As California’s former Attorney General, I fully comprehend the importance of allowing this investigation and legal process to run its course through our justice system.”

Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will vote on a bill to release all files related to the late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein next week.

Johnson said on Wednesday that a discharge petition to bypass leadership and force a vote on the bill hit the benchmark for needed signatures. He has decided to expedite the vote for the bill, which under current rules could have been delayed until at least early December, according to The Hill.

The discharge petition received the final signature it needed after Johnson swore in Democrat Adelita Grijalva on Wednesday evening. Grijalva won a special election in Arizona seven weeks ago to fill the seat of her father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, who died in March from complications of treatment he was undergoing for cancer.

“As soon as the discharge petition received the 218th signature, we brought it up on unanimous consent, and that would, as you know, make it — would get it through the process immediately. The Democrats shockingly opposed it,” said the speaker. “It was a staggering level of hypocrisy. I think some of them regretted it, because within about a half hour of that, there was a lot of confusion, and some of them claim that they did not object, but they did, and that’s what happened on the floor.”

“We’re going to put that on the floor for a full vote next week, soon as we get back,” he added.

Grijalva’s swearing in brings the partisan split in the House to 219 Republicans to 214 Democrats. Johnson had put off Grijalva’s swearing in for weeks, prompting a lawsuit from Arizona’s attorney general. Johnson has said he was waiting until the House was back in session after Senate fights over the government shutdown had been resolved.

Four Republicans joined every Democrat to force a vote on the release of the Epstein files.  Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie sponsored the bill. Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia joined Massie and the Democrats in supporting the discharge petition to force a vote.