“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said, referencing his use of social media to mock Trump. “He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit.”
The full details of any Justice Department inquires related to Newsom were not immediately clear. But the revelations were likely to escalate accusations from critics that the Trump administration is using the law enforcement agency as a weapon to go after Trump’s political opponents.
A person familiar with the matter denied the existence of an investigation specifically targeting the governor, but said there are multiple federal probes into people around him, including one related to his wife’s taxes. The probes began last year after complaints from within California government, and political leadership in Washington was not involved in the decision to open them, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss ongoing investigations.
“One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list, and today I proudly join that list,” Newsom said in the video.
Investigators have subpoenaed records, and agents have reached out to organizations and people connected to the governor and his wife, according to Newsom’s office. The governor’s office accused the Justice Department of “searching for a crime that does not exist.”
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, said the investigation showed that Trump is unfit for office.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” she said in a statement.
Newsom also led a push to counteract a Trump-backed effort in Texas to redraw congressional districts to favor Republicans by championing a successful redistricting measure in California designed to win Democrats five additional House seats.
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Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.
