Key facts
- California Governor Gavin Newsom alleges President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife.
- Newsom claims the investigation is politically motivated and an attempt to find a crime.
- Federal agents have reportedly interviewed Newsom's family, friends, and former employees.
- Investigations into people around Newsom, including his wife's taxes, were initiated by whistleblower complaints.
- Newsom suggested the probes are linked to Trump's potential presidential run and his own criticism of Trump.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Newsom stated that federal agents have been interviewing his family, friends, and former employees, requesting records and digging through old documents, which he characterized as an attempt to find a crime rather than uncover an existing one. Newsom suggested the probes are politically motivated and linked to Trump's potential presidential run and his own criticism of Trump. A source, however, indicated that Trump did not initiate the investigation, but rather whistleblowers reported concerns to the DOJ office in Sacramento, with no political leadership involvement in Washington. The article also mentions a separate federal corruption investigation into Newsom's former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty to diverting campaign funds.