Newsom Hires “Prominent Washington Defense Attorney” Amid Probe Into People In His Orbit
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has hired Washington Defense Attorney Abbe Lowell.
Newsom confirmed the hiring on Tuesday.
Newsom said neither he nor his wife has been contacted or subpoenaed by federal prosecutors.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has retained prominent Washington defense attorney Abbe Lowell as the U.S. Department of Justice continues a federal investigation involving the governor’s wife and several people in his political orbit.
The governor confirmed this publicly for the first time on Tuesday while responding to questions from members of the media during an unrelated news conference in Sacramento County. Newsom also said neither he nor his wife, first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have been contacted by federal investigators or subpoenaed.
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Newsom and his wife hired Lowell in their personal capacities, according to people familiar with the decision, Politico first reported last week. The DOJ has so far declined to speak publicly about the probe, but the Associated Press previously reported that “there are multiple federal probes into people around him, including one related to his wife’s taxes.”
A source familiar with the matter said the probes are being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento, with at least one having been going on for about a year. The source also stated that one or more originated with a whistleblower complaint.
There are at least two criminal investigations into people in Newsom’s orbit, including his wife.
At least two criminal investigations connected to Newsom’s family and political orbit have been handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, according to CalMatters. Citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, the outlet reported that both originated with whistleblowers and people in Sacramento.
One inquiry reportedly involves tax-related scrutiny involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom and financial arrangements connected to her nonprofit and filmmaking work. The other centered on former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson, who later pleaded guilty in a separate federal fraud case that prosecutors say grew out of an investigation launched during the Biden administration.
