California Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff has been arrested by the FBI as part of a corruption probe according to published reports.
Dana Williamson is named along with her employees Greg Campbell, Sean McCluskie, and two others on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, according to an indictment reviewed by the Sacramento Bee. They are facing a combined 23 counts in total.
Williamson served as Newsom’s top deputy between 2023 and 2024.
The indictment accuses Williamson and two co-conspirators of funneling dormant campaign funds through accounts they controlled for the benefit of McCluskie.
The money was then disguised to pay McCluskie’s spouse for a “no show” job, the indictment alleges. It says that McCluskie had worked for an unnamed person referred to as “public official 1,” who had a dormant campaign account.
Williamson, the indictment said, billed the account for $7,500 per month for consulting services, and McClusky would approve the payments. McCluskie and Williamson had an “ongoing relationship of trust” with the public official, who would not have otherwise approved the payments, the indictment said.
The trio are expected to be arraigned today in a federal courtroom in Sacramento.
Read the indictment here.
