Democrat operative Dana Williamson, after years of leading a luxury lifestyle, now faces numerous charges of fraud and false statements related to her alleged role in stealing campaign funds and mischaracterizing more than $1 million in self-indulgent spending as business expenses.
Williamson, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, was released on $500,000 bond after pleading not guilty Wednesday to 23 charges related to her political work. She is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to interfere with government function and obstruct justice, and false statements related to alleged crimes committed between February 2022 and September 2024, according to the indictment.
Williamson exited the governor’s office in December 2024. She owns a public affairs, lobbying, and political consulting business and is well known in California political circles. Williamson, who became Newsom’s chief of staff in 2022, was “hailed by her allies as the governor’s ‘political assassin,’” according to Politico, and Newsom praised “her insight, tenacity, and big heart” when she left the position.
The case has been under investigation for more than three years, starting during the Biden administration, and implicating people in or close to the administration. Mentioned in the indictment are the following alleged co-conspirators:
Sean McCluskie, who was chief of staff to Xavier Becerra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Biden administration from March 2021 to January 2025. Becerra was previously California’s attorney general, taking the job in 2017 after Kamala Harris left the position. McCluskie worked for him then too as chief deputy attorney general in Becerra’s office. Becerra, called “public official 1” in the indictment, is currently running for governor.
Greg Campbell is a lobbyist who owns a lobbying firm that handles public affairs, campaign issues, and crisis management.
McCluskie’s wife is not named, but she is described in the indictment as a “stay-at-home parent, who had prior work experience in the media industry.”
Williamson, McCluskie, and others allegedly conspired to divert around $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant political campaign funds, funneled it through companies she or her co-conspirators own, and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s wife.
“Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay for what was, in reality, a no-show job,” a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of California reads.
The indictment shows they started taking $10,000 a month from the account beginning in April 2022.
The indictment includes a flowchart defining the movement of money, and it alleges that McCluskie and others lied to Becerra, telling him “$10,000 a month was a reasonable amount to pay for monitoring dormant campaign accounts.”
“Campbell and McCluskie each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and are cooperating with investigators, according to newly unsealed court records,” Cal Matters reported. “Campbell also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
Purses and Planes
“The indictment also alleges that Williamson conspired with a business associate to create false, backdated contracts after receiving a civil subpoena in January 2024 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans made to Williamson’s business,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office press release. Those loans were meant to help small businesses get through Covid.
“Williamson also subscribed to false tax returns claiming more than $1 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags, as well as deductions for no-show jobs for friends and family,” the press release said.
Williamson made big purchases that appear to be more for personal pleasure, but, the indictment alleges, she claimed them as businesses expenses, including a $15,000 Chanel handbag and ring; a $5,800 Fendi handbag and wallet; a $6,300 couch and a $19,400 HAVAC system at her home; $10,000 given to a family member; $9,500 for a watch gifted to a friend; $21,000 for private jet charter service; and $15,600 to a luxury hotel.
She later allegedly spent $156,302 on a luxury hotel and activities to celebrate her birthday in Mexico. The trip included an $11,000 yacht rental. She paid $4,000 for another hotel in Mexico. She also reportedly made a $12,400 purchase of Chanel earrings and a shopping bag; $35,500 to a family law attorney; $7,700 for a Gucci bag and wallet; $10,600 for a trip to a California theme park; and $4,000 to a moving company.
That is roughly $40,000 in purses — for some folks, that is a year’s salary.
If convicted, Williamson “faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud; up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to obstruct and making a false statements; and up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each count of subscribing to a false tax return,” according to the release.
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
