IMAGN
Sacramento, California – Dana Williamson, a longtime Democratic strategist and once one of Sacramento’s most influential political figures, was charged Wednesday with conspiring to siphon more than $200,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to a top Biden administration official.
Federal prosecutors in Sacramento unsealed a 23-count indictment accusing Williamson, 53, of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, and obstructing justice. She’s also accused of claiming nearly $1 million in personal luxuries — including designer handbags, private jet flights, and luxury vacations — as “business expenses” on her tax filings.
Williamson, who served as Governor Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff before leaving his administration in 2024, pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing in federal court. She was released on a $500,000 bond.
The charges mark a stunning fall for a woman who, for decades, helped shape California Democratic politics from behind the scenes. Williamson managed Xavier Becerra’s 2018 campaign for attorney general, advised two governors, and was considered one of the state’s most effective political dealmakers — known in the Capitol as a strategist who could “fix” impossible situations.
The indictment stems from an ongoing corruption probe involving Sean McCluskie, a longtime aide to Becerra who later became his chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prosecutors say that from 2022 to 2024, Williamson worked with McCluskie and Sacramento lobbyist Greg Campbell to funnel $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign fund through her consulting firm and Campbell’s public affairs business. The money allegedly ended up in the hands of McCluskie’s wife, who held what prosecutors described as a “no-show” job.
According to McCluskie’s plea agreement, he admitted to the scheme, telling investigators he had struggled financially after taking a lower-paying role in Washington but was barred by federal ethics rules from earning outside income.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant, who oversees the Eastern District of California, said the charges were part of a corruption investigation that began more than three years ago. “Public service comes with an obligation to the law, not to self-interest,” Grant said.
Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney under Donald Trump, blasted prosecutors for what he called “a theatrical arrest” despite his ongoing communication with the Justice Department. “They chose the grandstanding route,” Scott said. “This is another wrong turn by the Trump Justice Department.”
Governor Newsom’s office was quick to distance itself from the scandal. “Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration,” spokesman Izzy Gardon said Wednesday. “While we are still learning the details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity.”
The case reverberated quickly through Sacramento’s political circles, where Williamson was once seen as indispensable. Her arrest, coming on the heels of other high-profile state corruption cases, has renewed scrutiny on California’s campaign finance culture — where vast sums often flow through consulting firms with limited oversight.
If convicted, Williamson faces decades in federal prison and steep financial penalties. For California Democrats, the indictment lands as both a personal shock and a political warning: even the state’s most powerful insiders aren’t beyond the reach of federal investigators.
