Gavin Newsom claims hes never been contacted by feds as probe reportedly digs into travel, donors
Three months after announcing a federal probe into him and his wife, Gov.Gavin Newsom claims he hasn’t heard a peep from investigators.The California Democrat told reporters at a Wednesday press conference he’s never been contacted by federal investigators — alleging he knows little about the reported probes involving his professional dealings, family finances and nonprofit-sponsored travel.“I know nothing more than you know.
Period, full stop,” Newsom said.“Never been contacted by anyone and I continue to make this point.They continue to zig and zag and I stand by everything I said in my opening remarks on this,” the governor added, alluding to his June 15 pre-recorded message branding the federal scrutiny as a political hit job.The lame-duck governor and expected presidential candidate made the comments during a lengthy Q&A with Sacramento reporters after he signed a bill providing tax credits to local newsrooms.While the probe hasn’t resulted in any indictments, federal investigators have zeroed in Newsom’s international globetrotting paid for by wealthy donors, per the San Francisco Standard.A glossy Vanity Fair profile published Wednesday mentioned another possible target of federal investigators — the governor’s controversial use of “behested payments” to boost his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit.The magazine piece — in which Newsom compared himself to Bill Clinton and claimed he’s written “36 pages of ideas” on national priorities — noted that investigators may be looking into money that was piped from a Sonoma County native tribe to his wife’s gender-focused nonprofit.Newsom has solicited $2.3 million in behested payments from the powerful Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria since 2022 for the California Partners Project, Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit that focuses on gender and pay equity, according to state records.Newsom appointed the tribe’s chairman Greg Sarris to the influential University of Cal...