FBI intercepts communications of Newsom administration officials, California political players

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SACRAMENTO — Current and former members of Gov.Gavin Newsom’s administration were among the dozens of Sacramento insiders who received FBI letters in recent days notifying them that their phone calls, texts or other electronic communications had been intercepted as part of the federal corruption case tied to Dana Williamson and two other longtime Democratic operatives.The notifications are routine in wiretap investigations once surveillance ends, but the letters set off a wave of panic across California’s political power structure.

The letters are signed by Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel and began arriving in mailboxes from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., last week, according to copies of the communications shared with The Times.The legal notifications, under the terms of the 1968 Federal Wiretap Act, are sent out routinely to people whose private communications have been captured on federal wiretaps.A Newsom spokesperson said the governor’s office is aware that a limited number of the letters were sent to current and former members of the administration.The spokesperson said that the letters were expected given federal law requires parties to be notified.

Newsom’s office said the governor did not receive a letter.Newsom’s office said the governor is not involved in the case against Williamson.

None of the charging documents released in the cases against the three aides mention Newsom.Copies of the letters, which were provided to The Times by individuals who asked to remain anonymous, indicate the period of time the communications were intercepted ranged from May 2024 to the end of July of 2024.“This letter does not necessarily mean you were the target of the investigation or that any criminal action will be taken against you,” Patel wrote in the letter.“Rather, the purpose of this letter is to notify you that some of your ...