The probe reportedly centers on a gender equity advocacy organization called the California Partners Project that Siebel Newsom co-founded. The organization received just over $5 million in behested payments since 2020, which describes payments to a third party, like a charity, at the request of a public official.
Under California law, there is generally no cap on how large behested payments can be. There are rules around the payments, including mandated public disclosure of any donation above $5,000 from a single source in a year. Behested payments are also still subject to gift and conflict-of-interest rules, and additional disclosure rules if the public official has a relationship with the recipient organization.
Siebel Newsom said in a statement to media outlets, “There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way.”
A second probe reportedly relates to an investigation into Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, that had been opened during the Biden Administration. Williamson was indicted last year on federal charges that she was involved in a scheme to steal $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is now the Democratic nominee to succeed Newsom as California governor. Williamson pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and making false statements to federal investigators.
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