California Attorney General Rob Bonta doubled down on Gov.Gavin Newsom's claims that the Trump administration is weaponizing the Justice Department after being pressed on reports that the federal probe involving Newsom and his wife originated in California and was not opened by the Trump Administration in Washington, D.C."I know what I've concluded is that this is highly dubious — there's no trust in it," Bonta said.
"This is someone who's weaponized the U.S.DOJ time and time again.
I think he's doing it now."Newsom took to X on Monday to publicly announce his uncovering that he and his wife, Jen Siebel Newsom are being investigated by the DOJ, claiming President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to investigate them and that they’ve joined "Donald Trump’s hit list." GAVIN NEWSOM CLAIMS TRUMP ORDERED DOJ PROBE TARGETING HIM AND HIS WIFECalifornia Gov.Gavin Newsom speaks next to his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom at the California Democratic Party Headquarters in Sacramento after the state's special election on Proposition 50 on Nov.
4, 2025.(Fred Greaves/Reuters)He is also widely claiming that Trump is targeting him because of recent speculation of Newsom as a promising 2028 presidential bid."Newsom is the governor for the biggest state, the bluest state in the nation, the fourth largest economy in the world," Bonta said "Everyone knows that he could be president of the United States.
So you put that situational awareness and context into this, and what do you conclude?"Bonta told Fox News Digital that Trump has "weaponized" the Justice Department, saying it has shifted from pursuing criminal prosecutions to conducting "political persecutions against political enemies."FORMER GAVIN NEWSOM CHIEF OF STAFF CHARGED IN $225K FRAUD AND CORRUPTION SCHEME, DOJ SAYSCalifornia Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced charges against 21 people suspected of participating in a massive hospice fraud ring.(Myung J.
Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)He also clai...