Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple corruption charges, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced on Wednesday.
Williamson, 52, of Carmichael, has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstructing justice, as well as subscribing to false tax returns and making false statements. She pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
According to court documents, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with others to divert approximately $225,000 from a dormant political campaign to an associate’s personal use. The funds were funneled through various business entities and disguised as pay for a no-show job, federal prosecutors allege.
The indictment also alleges that Williamson conspired with a business associate to create false, backdated contracts after receiving a civil subpoena in January 2024 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The subpoena was related to Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans made to Williamson’s business.
Williamson is also accused of subscribing to false tax returns that claimed more than $1 million in business deductions for personal and nondeductible expenses. These included private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, designer handbags, and payments for no-show jobs for friends and family, the Department of Justice said.
In a statement to Nexstar Media Group’s Eytan Wallace, a spokesperson for Gov. Newsom said, he “expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity.”
Nexstar Media is the parent company of NewsNation and local affiliate KTLA.
“Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration. While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“At a time when the president is openly calling for his attorney general to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of one’s peers.”
If convicted, Williamson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. She also faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements, as well as up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each count of subscribing to a false tax return.
Williamson was the third chief of staff to Newsom, according to the Sacramento Bee. Before joining his staff, she operated her own consulting firm, Grace Public Affairs, and served as a senior aide to numerous California elected officials.
Williamson left the Governor’s Office in December 2024 after clashing with supporters of Proposition 36, according to the publication.