Dana Williamson, the former chief of staff to California Governor Gavin Newsom and one of the most influential unelected officials in state government.
Was arrested Wednesday following a federal grand jury indictment that accuses her of orchestrating a years-long financial scheme involving political funds.
Federal prosecutors allege that Williamson, 53, conspired with business associates to illegally move hundreds of thousands of dollars from political and business accounts through a complex web of entities, disguising the transactions as legitimate compensation and business expenses while concealing their true purpose.
The charges stem from a multiyear investigation led jointly by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, outlines what prosecutors describe as a sustained pattern of financial misconduct that occurred between February 2022 and September 2024 — a period that almost entirely overlaps with Williamson’s tenure as Governor Newsom’s chief of staff.
