Jennifer Siebel Newsom calls DOJ probe ‘fishing expedition’
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom called a U.S. Department of Justice probe into her and Gov. Gavin Newsom a “fishing expedition” designed to silence one of his political opponents in an MS NOW interview that aired Friday.
“My husband is (President Donald) Trump’s most outspoken critic, and he’s the GOP’s biggest,” Siebel Newsom said in her first interview since the Newsoms announced the DOJ probe last month. “This is a fishing expedition. I mean, this is typical Trump fashion, go after your enemies, and so you’d have to ask the DOJ (what the charges are).”
Siebel Newsom has built a career as a gender equity advocate and is one of her husband’s de facto advisors, helping shape his policies on children’s Internet safety and school nutrition. In June, federal investigators began approaching her and Newsom’s associates and friends in a wide-ranging probe into her taxes.
Newsom raised $250,000 for his Campaign For Democracy PAC after asking supporters for donations to shore up his legal defense, hours after announcing the DOJ probe on June 15.
In his fundraising pitch, he compared himself to other Trump critics like New York Attorney General Leticia James and former FBI director James Comey who have come under investigation after speaking out against the president.
“They’ve always targeted my husband, and whether it’s the GOP themselves or you know their media empire with Rupert Murdoch and the like,” Siebel Newsom told MS NOW host Stephanie Ruhle. “We’re kind of sitting ducks in that regard because they think that my husband’s aspiring for the presidency, and they want to silence him, and therefore they go after his wife and those close to him.”
She sidestepped a question about whether her husband would definitely run for president in 2028, which he has teased as he prepares to leave office at the end of next January.
“I believe right now we are focused on California,” Siebel Newsom said, listing the state’s position as the fourth largest global economy under her husband’s leadership. “GDP has surged 40% higher than Germany and China’s, faster than the U.S. GDP growth. It’s really exciting to be in California. Diversity is our secret sauce. It’s what my husband and I stand for, and represent, and champion.”
Newsom’s office previously said the investigation appeared to come after the Biden administration began investigating Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff, for corruption in 2022. That investigation continued after Trump reentered office in 2025, and agents began probing Newsom and Siebel Newsom.
As of this week, neither of the Newsoms have been federally subpoenaed in the tax inquiry. Politico reported Thursday that they have retained high-powered Washington, D.C. attorney Abbe Lowell to represent them in a personal capacity.
Lowell did not respond to a request for comment. A Newsom spokesperson declined to comment.
Lowell previously represented other targets of the Trump administration like Hunter Biden, Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, and New York Attorney General Leticia James.
He also represented Jared Kushner as Congress probed the Trump administration’s ties to Russia, defended former Sen. John Edwards against charges that he violated finance campaign laws to cover up an extramarital affair, and served as Democratic House minority counsel during former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment hearings over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
