Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid.

Newsom, a longtime political rival of the Republican president, said in a video posted on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records “not because they found a crime, but because they’re simply trying to find one.”

“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 investigations related to Newsom were not immediately clear.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes. The probes began last year after whistleblower complaints in 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.

They are the latest known Justice Department investigations related to one of Trump’s foes, a trend that has sparked criticism that the administration is using the law enforcement agency as a political weapon.

    • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      Yeah. I fucking hate Newsom, but the Trump DOJ investigating him is straight up third world dictator shit.

      • certified_expert@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        “Third world”? Excuse me? My third world country has public health, effective public transport, free education; and a working, transparent democratic system.

        I think you meant to say: “it is straight up dictator shit”

        thanks

    • TommySoda@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      For real. Y’all realize that celebrating when the government goes after someone you don’t like with obviously bogus claims is exactly what MAGA celebrates, right? Like, I don’t like Newsom either but we shouldn’t celebrate a rogue DOJ under any circumstance.

    • gdog05@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      I’m hoping they’re all just tankies which means anything they say is irrelevant.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
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    9 days ago

    Trump directs the FBI to act the way he thinks it was directed to act against him.

    Problem: He’s actually a criminal. The others? Not so much.

  • barneyrubble@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Straight up: Donald Trump is a tyrant!

    He targets everyone who says anything bad about him. The Projector in chief, who claimed that the Biden administration weaponized the DOJ against their enemies:

    Yeah. No.

    DJT is the the one who has weaponized the DOJ against his enemies. I honestly don’t understand why the congress has not impeached and removed him already, or why jd and Rubio haven’t removed him under the 25th amendment.

    This two time Trump voter, and 2 time Reagan voter will vote straight blue this November.

    Adios, Hotwheels. Adios, Paxton. Adios, Dan Patrick.

    This fucking idiot and his ideology have to be stopped. Tomorrow is not soon enough!

  • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    9 days ago

    Guy who made his entire identity poking the bear: help, the bear is after me!

    Fuck Trump, fuck Newsom, and keep both their asses off the ballot.

  • Sanctus@anarchist.nexus
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    9 days ago

    Maybe if you weren’t a neolib trans backstabber who listens to Charlie Kirk with his kid you’d be able to defend yourself.

  • supernight52@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Fuck Newsom, fuck Trump. Hope there’s an actual crime to charge him with, but also hope the entire GOP has simultaneous fatal aneurysms.