California Gov. Gavin Newsom says President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Speaking Monday, Newsom attributed the alleged inquiry to politics, saying Trump is targeting him because he is considering a presidential run. Multiple outlets report that Newsom frames the situation as part of an escalating personal and political dispute between the two leaders, including months of public and social-media conflict.
Newsom also describes investigative activity affecting people around him. The Guardian reports that federal agents knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees in recent days, seeking records and, in Newsom’s view, misusing the grand jury process. Bloomberg and other outlets similarly recount Newsom’s accusation that the DOJ action is politically motivated.
The outlets do not provide independent confirmation of the investigation’s scope or legal basis in the coverage summarized here. The reporting centers on Newsom’s statement and his characterization of the DOJ activity as directed by Trump.
