California Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have engaged the services of Abbe Lowell, a prominent defense attorney, as federal investigations focus on financial and nonprofit matters involving the first partner. This decision comes as a separate federal fraud case has implicated Newsom's former chief of staff. In a news conference on Tuesday, Newsom confirmed the hiring of Lowell, who has represented various high-profile clients, including Hunter Biden and others involved in political controversies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California is reportedly handling at least two criminal investigations related to Newsom's family and associates. One investigation is said to involve tax-related issues concerning Jennifer Siebel Newsom and her nonprofit work, while the other pertains to Dana Williamson, the former chief of staff, who has pleaded guilty in a related federal fraud case.
Reports indicate that the investigations stem from whistleblower complaints and have drawn attention to the Representation Project, a nonprofit that has compensated Siebel Newsom over $1.9 million and awarded contracts to her production company. Another nonprofit linked to her, the California Partners Project, has received nearly $5.1 million in behested payments from the governor since 2020. Newsom and his wife assert that the investigations are politically motivated, a claim they reiterated during a recent interview, although Siebel Newsom stated she was unaware of the details surrounding the probes. Newsom expressed his belief that contact from federal investigators is inevitable.