Exclusive | Gavin Newsom appointee wore FBI wire in corruption probe

The FBI had a mole inside Gov.Gavin Newsom’s political orbit before the agency’s corruption probe expanded into the governor and his wife, The Post has learned.Democrat insider Alexis Podesta, 45, secretly recorded conversations during the criminal probe into Newsom’s then-chief of staff, Dana Williamson, 53, who pleaded guilty to federal fraud and tax charges in May, according to Williamson’s attorney.The revelation she was wearing a wire as far back as June 2024 explains why a swath of Sacramento political insiders and lobbyists were stunned to receive FBI letters last fall informing them that their phone calls had been intercepted during the investigation — despite many having little or no connection to Williamson.“Alexis wore a wire, and Dana did not,” said McGregor Scott, Williamson’s lawyer and a former US attorney for the Eastern District of California, which is now investigating the Newsoms.The disclosure comes as Newsom announced last month that he and his wife — whose nonprofit has been burning through money in recent years — as well as members of the governor’s inner circle are under federal investigation.

Within hours of that announcement, Newsom blasted out an email to raise money for political action committee.Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) told The Post he was among those who received one of the letters even though he had never spoken with either Williamson or Podesta.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!“A lot of people received letters essentially informing us that there were certain periods of time where the FBI was given access to follow phone calls,” Hoover said.“I don’t know how these investigations work, but it sounds like they cast a pretty b...