Who is Alexis Podesta? The Gavin Newsom appointee who wore an FBI wire

Alexis Podesta has been one of Sacramento’s most influential behind-the-scenes power brokers for years — the kind of political insider whose name rarely makes headlines despite her fingerprints being all over California politics.Now, she’s become one of the FBI’s most valuable witnesses — after wearing a wire as part of a probe that took down Gov.Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, according to Williamson’s attorney. Podesta, 45, spent years climbing the Democratic political ladder before cashing in as a lobbyist.

She currently owns the Podesta Company, a Sacramento lobbying and government affairs firm launched in 2020 after leaving state government.She previously served as secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency under then-Gov.Jerry Brown from 2017 to 2020.

Before that, she worked in Brown’s office as director of external affairs, director of international affairs and chief of protocol.Her resume also includes stints at power company PG&E, the Walt Disney Co.and as director of scheduling for the late US Sen.

Dianne Feinstein.When Gov.Gavin Newsom — who is now the subject of a federal investigation — took office, he rewarded Podesta in 2020 with an appointment to the board of the State Compensation Insurance Fund, where she remains today — collecting nearly $61,000 a year from taxpayers despite emerging as a central figure in the federal corruption probe swirling around the governor’s political orbit.Newsom’s office declined to comment on keeping Podesta on the board despite her being an FBI’s mole, calling it a personnel matter.Podesta has been identified as “Co-Conspirator 2” in the Williamson indictment.

She was accused of taking over management of former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra’s dormant campaign account after Williamson joined Newsom’s administration.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every d...