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<\/p>\nFormer top aide to Gov. Newsom, Xavier Becerra is discussing a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4:30 P.M. WE HAVE AN UPDATE RIGHT NOW ON THE CASE AGAINST GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM\u2019S EX CHIEF OF STAFF, DANA WILLIAMSON. WILLIAMSON IS FACING NEARLY TWO DOZEN FEDERAL CHARGES RELATED TO STOLEN POLITICAL FUNDS, FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS AND TAX FRAUD. THAT\u2019S A LONG LIST. WILLIAMSON WAS EXPECTED TO BE BACK IN COURT THIS WEEK. KCRA THREE POLITICAL DIRECTOR ASHLEY ZAVALA JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT COURT FILINGS SHOW TODAY. LISA AND ANDREA, COURT RECORDS SHOW WILLIAMSON\u2019S COURT DATE IS GETTING PUSHED BACK AGAIN BECAUSE HER ATTORNEYS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPEAR TO BE NEGOTIATING A POSSIBLE PLEA DEAL. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE ACCUSED WILLIAMSON OF VARIOUS CRIMES STEMMING FROM THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS. THAT INCLUDES ORGANIZING A SCHEME TO STEAL $225,000 IN FUNDS FROM AN INACTIVE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT BELONGING TO FORMER U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY XAVIER BECERRA, WHO IS ALSO RUNNING FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR. IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALSO ACCUSES HER OF FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS AS SHE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR TAKING SMALL BUSINESS LOANS DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND SHE\u2019S ALSO ACCUSED OF TAX FRAUD. NOW, IN A JOINT COURT FILING TODAY FROM BOTH SIDES OF THIS CASE, ATTORNEYS FOR WILLIAMSON AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WROTE, QUOTE, THE PARTIES ARE ENGAGED IN ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS TOWARD RESOLVING THE CASE. IF A PLEA AGREEMENT IS NOT REACHED BY MAY 14TH, THE PARTIES INTEND TO REQUEST AT THAT STATUS CONFERENCE THAT THE CASE BE SET FOR JURY TRIAL. NOW, AUTHORITIES ARRESTED WILLIAMSON BACK IN NOVEMBER FOR THE ALLEGED CRIMES HER COCONSPIRATORS, WHO HELPED ORGANIZE THE SYSTEM TO STEAL BECERRA\u2019S FUNDS, HAVE PLED GUILTY AND HAD PLEA AGREEMENTS IN PLACE AT THE TIME THAT WILLIAMSON\u2019S CASE WAS MADE PUBLIC. NOW, WILLIAMSON NOT ONLY SERVED AS GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM\u2019S CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT ALSO AS A CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND ADVISOR TO XAVIER BECERRA, WHO IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. SHE DID THAT IN HIS CAPACITY WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL. NOW, THROUGH THE SCHEME, WILLIAMSON ALLEGEDLY HELPED ORGANIZE UP TO $10,000 A MONTH IN PAYMENTS WERE COMING OUT OF BECERRA\u2019S ACCOUNT, WHICH EXPERTS SAY IS AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. BECERRA HAS SAID HE WAS A VICTIM AND HAD NO IDEA. I PRESSED HIM ABOUT THIS WHEN I INTERVIEWED HIM FOR CALIFORNIA POLITICS 360 LAST WEEK. THROUGH YOUR CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS DATING BACK TO THE 90S, LIKE, NEVER ONCE DID YOU PAY THAT AMOUNT FOR THIS KIND OF MAINTENANCE, FOR LEGAL SERVICES FOR NOTHING. I MEAN, LIKE, DID YOU REALLY NOT THAT WASN\u2019T THAT DIDN\u2019T RAISE ANY FLAGS FOR YOU THAT THOSE PAYMENTS. SO WE WERE PAYING FOR MANAGEMENT OF A DORMANT ACCOUNT, MAKING SURE THAT NOTHING WAS NO LAWS WERE VIOLATED BECAUSE I WAS SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, A CABINET MEMBER. I HAD TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM ANYTHING THAT LOOKED POLITICAL OR CAMPAIGN RELATED. I HAD ETHICS RULES THAT WERE IN PLACE THAT REQUIRED ME TO DISTANCE MYSELF. AND SO I DEPENDED ON PEOPLE THAT I TRUSTED TO, TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT THE RIGHT WAY. WE WERE GOING TO PAY FOR THE MANAGEMENT. YOU ALWAYS PAY FOR SOMEONE TO OVERSEE, TO FILE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTS AND THE REST. AND I WAS WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN\u2019T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. LO AND BEHOLD, WHILE I WAS WILLING TO PAY A PRICE AND BY THE WAY, THE ATTORNEYS OF THE CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT SIGNED OFF ON ALL THOSE PAYMENTS AS WELL. IT WASN\u2019T AS IF THERE WASN\u2019T SOMEONE WHO WAS CHECKING. THE ATTORNEYS WERE CHECKING, AND THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING SEEMED KOSHER. WHAT HAPPENED WAS, AFTER THE PAYMENTS, THE WAY THE MONEY WAS USED IS WHERE THE VIOLATION OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO VIOLATION IN TERMS OF THE PAYMENT. THAT\u2019S WHY I AND MY CAMPAIGN WERE NOT IMPLICATED IN THE ACTUAL ACTIVITIES. SO THOSE PAYMENTS HE\u2019S REFERRING TO, THAT MONEY WAS USED TO FUNNEL MONEY AWAY FROM BECERRA\u2019S CAMPAIGN TO THE PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT OF HIS LONGTIME CHIEF OF STAFF. HIS NAME IS SEAN MCCLUSKEY. MCCLUSKEY IS ONE OF THE COCONSPIRATORS IN THIS CASE THAT HAS PLEADED GUILTY. WE REACHED OUT TO WILLIAMSON\u2019S ATTORNEY, MCGREGOR SCOTT, AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY\u2019S OFFICE. WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK FROM WILLIAMSON\u2019S ATTORNEY, BUT A SPOKESPERSON FOR FEDERAL PROSECUTORS CONFIRMED THE DISCUSSIONS ON THAT PLE\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Former top aide to Gov. Newsom, Xavier Becerra is discussing a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tUpdated: 5:00 PM PDT Apr 27, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tEditorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tDana Williamson, the former chief of staff to California Gov. Gavin Newsom who is facing nearly two dozen federal charges, is discussing a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors, court records show. Court records filed Monday indicate Williamson\u2019s upcoming April 30 court date has been postponed as her attorneys and federal prosecutors appear to be negotiating a possible plea deal. Federal prosecutors have accused Williamson of crimes stemming from three separate incidents. One involves organizing a scheme to steal $225,000 from an inactive political campaign account belonging to former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is running for governor. In separate incidents, Williamson is accused of falsifying documents during an investigation into her use of small business loans during the pandemic and committing tax fraud. In a joint court filing on Monday, attorneys for both sides wrote, “The parties are engaged in active discussions toward resolving the case. If a plea agreement is not reached by May 14, the parties intend to request at that status conference that the case be set for jury trial.” Authorities arrested Williamson in November for the alleged crimes. Her co-conspirators Sean McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell, who helped organize the scheme to steal Becerra\u2019s funds, pleaded guilty and had reached plea agreements when Williamson\u2019s case became public. Williamson previously served not only as Newsom\u2019s chief of staff but also as a campaign manager and adviser to Becerra. Through the alleged scheme Williamson helped organize, prosecutors say up to $10,000 a month was taken from one of Becerra\u2019s inactive campaign accounts and funneled to the personal bank account of his long-time chief of staff, Sean McCluskie. Court records show McCluskie took a pay cut to continue working with Becerra in the Biden Administration, which required him to move from California to Washington D.C. Becerra has said he was a victim and had no knowledge of the scheme. A spokesperson for federal prosecutors confirmed that discussions regarding a resolution to the case are ongoing. Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, did not immediately respond to a request for comment as of Monday night. KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Dana Williamson, the former chief of staff to California Gov. Gavin Newsom who is facing nearly two dozen federal charges<\/a>, is discussing a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors, court records show. <\/p>\n Court records filed Monday indicate Williamson\u2019s upcoming April 30 court date has been postponed as her attorneys and federal prosecutors appear to be negotiating a possible plea deal. <\/p>\n Federal prosecutors have accused Williamson of crimes stemming from three separate incidents. One involves organizing a scheme to steal $225,000 from an inactive political campaign account belonging to former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is running for governor. <\/p>\n In separate incidents, Williamson is accused of falsifying documents during an investigation into her use of small business loans during the pandemic and committing tax fraud. <\/p>\n In a joint court filing on Monday, attorneys for both sides wrote, “The parties are engaged in active discussions toward resolving the case. If a plea agreement is not reached by May 14, the parties intend to request at that status conference that the case be set for jury trial.” <\/p>\n Authorities arrested Williamson in November for the alleged crimes. Her co-conspirators Sean McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell, who helped organize the scheme to steal Becerra\u2019s funds, pleaded guilty and had reached plea agreements when Williamson\u2019s case became public. <\/p>\n Williamson previously served not only as Newsom\u2019s chief of staff but also as a campaign manager and adviser to Becerra. <\/p>\n Through the alleged scheme Williamson helped organize, prosecutors say up to $10,000 a month was taken from one of Becerra\u2019s inactive campaign accounts and funneled to the personal bank account of his long-time chief of staff, Sean McCluskie. <\/p>\n Court records show McCluskie took a pay cut to continue working with Becerra in the Biden Administration, which required him to move from California to Washington D.C. <\/p>\n Becerra has said he was a victim and had no knowledge of the scheme. <\/p>\n A spokesperson for federal prosecutors confirmed that discussions regarding a resolution to the case are ongoing. Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, did not immediately respond to a request for comment as of Monday night. <\/p>\n KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala <\/a>reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360<\/a>.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former top aide to Gov. 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