On November 12 the Department of Justice announced the indictment of former Gavin Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson. The Department of Justice has posted the 31-page indictment online. The Department of Justce press release summarizes the case:
Political consultant Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, was charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. The 23-count indictment was unsealed following Williamson’s arrest this morning….
According to court documents, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with others to divert approximately $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign to an associate’s personal use. Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay for what was, in reality, a no-show job.
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.
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.
When questioned by FBI agents in connection with ongoing investigations into the diversion of campaign funds, the backdated contracts, and allegations of public corruption, Williamson made false statements to the agents regarding each of those topics.
The “dormant political campaign fund” to which the press release refers is that of former Biden HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. The case should be entertaing, but it may be made even more so if you pronounce “Becerra” like Becerra’s good friend Joe Biden.
Ms. Nicholson has pleaded not guilty. I am under no obligation to extend the presumption of innocence to her and I dare to predict that this case will end unhappily for her. Alleged co-conspirators Greg Campbell and former Xavier Becerra chief of staff Sean McCluskey have agreed to plead guilty.
James Freeman’s November 13 Wall Street Journal Best of the Web column had a good round-up of the news related to the case (behind the WSJ paywall). The Sacramento Bee covered the indictment in an accessible story here. The Washington Free Beacon’s Andrew Kerr hopefully explains “How the Indictment of Gavin Newsom’s Chief of Staff Could Implicate the Governor in a Scheme To Shield a Top Donor From Legal Scrutiny.”
We also have the case of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (depicted in the thumbnail photo on our home page). Insofar as she is a sitting member of the House of Representatives, it may be a more significant case than the Nicholson case, and it is easier to spell if not pronounce “Nicholson” than “Cherfilus-McCormick.”
Rep. C-M has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA overpayments to her company and funneling some of the money into her congressional campaign. The Department of Justice press release is posted here. The indictment has also been posted online here.
Byron York simplifies the “bizarres story” behind the case with a simple question: “What would you do if you discovered that someone accidentally deposited $5 million into your bank account? Would you point out the mistake and give it back? Or would you keep it, spend it, and hope nobody noticed?”
Rep. C-M has called the case “an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent.” This seems a stretch: “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues.”
Rep. C-M’s Republican colleague Greg Steube commented: “Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible. Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims.” Ms. C-M, Minnesota may be your natural home!
