California Gov. Gavin Newsom is portraying himself as the latest target of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, but new reporting suggests the federal investigation he is complaining about may have begun long before Trump returned to the White House.
Newsom ignited a political firestorm after posting a lengthy video on social media claiming that he and his family had become victims of a politically motivated investigation orchestrated by the Trump administration.
“Today, my wife and I joined Donald Trump’s hit list,” Newsom wrote. “He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us. They have not found a crime—they are simply trying to find one.”
The California governor further alleged that federal investigators had been contacting friends, family members, and former employees while seeking records spanning several years.
“They’re demanding records,” Newsom said in the nearly five-minute video. “They’re abusing the grand jury process, digging through years and years of random documents.”
Throughout the video, Newsom portrayed the investigation as political retaliation, arguing that President Trump was targeting him because he has been a vocal critic of the administration and is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate.
“He isn’t coming after me because of mean tweets,” Newsom claimed. “He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president.”
But shortly after Newsom’s remarks went viral, journalists familiar with the matter challenged one of the central claims of his argument.
Veteran reporter Adam Housley posted on X that the investigation did not originate under the Trump administration at all.
“Minor detail,” Housley wrote. “They’ve been under federal investigation since the Biden administration. This isn’t new.”
If accurate, that timeline significantly undercuts Newsom’s assertion that the probe was launched solely as political retaliation by President Trump.
When asked why the investigation allegedly began during President Biden’s tenure, Housley explained that the case originated outside of Washington.
“Because it was opened regionally and didn’t come from D.C.,” he responded.
Housley also indicated the investigation is broader than many initially realized.
“The investigation has multiple arms,” he wrote. “Some of it connected here in the Napa Valley. It was first handled by agents from the Sacramento FBI, and I was told it was taken over by the San Francisco office.”
Those comments fueled further speculation that federal authorities have been examining multiple issues involving Newsom and individuals within his political orbit for some time.
RedState reporter Jennifer Van Laar also weighed in, pointing to publicly discussed financial questions involving the governor and his family’s business dealings.
“Maybe they’re investigating you because your finances don’t add up?” Van Laar wrote. She questioned reports involving a multimillion-dollar property transaction connected to an LLC reportedly associated with Newsom’s wife, asking how the company had been capitalized.
Those questions remain allegations, and neither Newsom nor his wife has been charged with any wrongdoing related to those matters.
Meanwhile, journalist Shelby Talcott reported that sources familiar with the situation described several ongoing federal investigations connected to Newsom’s political operation.
According to Talcott, one source said investigators are examining matters involving Newsom’s wife, tax issues, and individuals connected to the governor’s office.
She further reported that the investigations “did not originate from the main DOJ” but instead were initiated through federal offices in Sacramento and allegedly involve information provided by whistleblowers.
The Justice Department has declined public comment regarding the reported investigations.
Talcott later clarified that one aspect of the reporting involved a former chief of staff connected to an existing fraud investigation, though she noted it remains unclear whether that matter overlaps with any broader inquiries involving current members of Newsom’s administration.
For conservatives, Newsom’s public response has raised eyebrows.
Rather than simply denying wrongdoing, critics argue the governor chose to frame himself as the victim of political persecution before investigators have publicly announced any findings.
Supporters of the Trump administration contend that if federal investigators are following evidence developed over multiple years—including during the previous administration—it weakens claims that the inquiry is merely partisan retaliation.
Newsom, for his part, continues to insist that neither he nor his family has done anything wrong and argues the investigation is intended to damage his political future.
Whether the federal inquiries ultimately produce criminal charges or conclude without further action remains unknown.
For now, however, one thing appears increasingly clear: despite Newsom’s efforts to portray the investigation as a new political attack from the Trump White House, multiple reports suggest at least portions of the federal scrutiny may have begun well before President Trump returned to office. If those reports prove accurate, the governor may find it more difficult to convince skeptical voters that the investigation is solely about politics rather than legitimate questions federal authorities believe warrant examination.
