Newsom says Trump DOJ is investigating him
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom inside the U.S. Capitol in May. Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into him.
Why it matters: Newsom alleged in a video that the DOJ is going after him at President Trump's direction because he's "considering running for president."
The big picture: The apparent probe into the California governor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, would be the latest example of a political adversary of Trump alleging that the president has "weaponized" the DOJ to target his enemies.
What they're saying: "In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees," Newsom said in his statement.
- "Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one. They are demanding records. They are abusing the grand jury process. Digging through years and years of random documents. Donald Trump isn't just coming after me because of my mean Tweets."
- "He's coming after me because I am considering running for President. Because he hates that I've consistently called him out — over and over again — for his lies and deceit."
- "Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history. He has turned the levers of government into his own personal power ministries to reward cronies and to try to jail his opponents. His personal attorney now runs the Department of Justice, which has repeatedly gone after his political enemies."
The other side: The White House referred Axios to the DOJ, which declined to comment.
The intrigue: A source familiar with the situation tells Axios they "can confirm there are several investigations ongoing," but they did not originate with the DOJ. The investigations began about a year ago, the source says.
- "I haven't been told exactly how many investigations there are, just that there's several. I know one is related to his wife and her taxes, and another is related to his former chief of staff and potentially current staff members."
Context: Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche previously represented Trump in cases involving his retention of classified documents, his 2020 election interference case, and his New York "hush money" case.
Zoom in: Newsom said the probe resembles investigations into former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff.
- Prosecutors were unable to secure an indictment in James' case, and a court dismissed one of the cases against Comey.
What we're watching: Newsom's office announced Monday evening it had filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records from the DOJ "related to President Donald Trump's politically motivated investigation" into the governor and Siebel Newsom.
Zoom out: Newsom is widely seen as one of the biggest heavyweights for the 2028 presidential election, alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris.
- He's gained significant traction and engagement on social media for trolling Trump by imitating the president's signature posting style.
- Newsom also published a book in February called "Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery," which was widely viewed as the first step to launching a campaign.
Watch: Newsom tells Axios, "I'm used to Trump attacking me 24/7. 'New-scum,' the whole thing."
Go deeper: Swear Trump's weaponization fund is dead to kill lawsuit, judge says
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.
