California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff was arrested Wednesday and charged with plotting with accomplices to swipe $225,000 from inactive political campaigns and funnel it straight into a friend’s pocket, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Dana Williamson, 53, is now facing a sweeping 23-count federal indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, defrauding the United States, obstructing justice, filing false tax returns, and lying to authorities, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” US Attorney Eric Grant said in a statement.
“As it always has, the US Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption.”
Prosecutors said the alleged scheme took place between February 2022 and September 2024.
Williamson, a political consultant, faces decades in lock up if convicted.
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