Dana Williamson indicted on 23 counts for stealing from Becerra

Dana Williamson served as Gov. Gavin Newsom's chief of staff in California before leaving the role in late 2022 to run her own political consulting company. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of California indicted her on 23 counts on Nov. 12, 2025, making her one of the most senior California political aides ever to face a federal criminal indictment.

Prosecutors allege Williamson and co-conspirators ran a billing scheme starting in April 2022 that siphoned approximately $225,000 from a dormant California campaign account belonging to former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Williamson's consulting firm allegedly billed Becerra's campaign for services it never provided, and the money was then routed to the wife of Sean McCluskie — Becerra's chief of staff — as payment for purported work.

The scheme was designed to offset roughly $180,000 in annual income that McCluskie lost when he left a higher-paying private-sector job to become Becerra's chief of staff at HHS in Washington in 2022. Prosecutors allege Williamson structured the phantom invoices to compensate McCluskie for his pay cut without triggering payroll scrutiny.

A co-conspirator identified as 'Co-Conspirator 2' in the indictment allegedly took over Williamson's role running the billing scheme after Williamson joined Newsom's office in late 2022. This means the alleged fraud continued even after Williamson moved into a senior government position, according to federal prosecutors.

The 23-count indictment includes charges of 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. Bank fraud and wire fraud each carry maximum sentences of 20 years in federal prison.

Prosecutors separately allege Williamson claimed more than $1.7 million in false business tax deductions for personal expenses on her tax returns. The indictment itemizes a $15,000 Chanel handbag, a chartered private jet, hotel stays, home furnishings, and a nearly $170,000 birthday trip to Mexico as expenses she classified as deductible business costs.

Sean McCluskie pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025 — to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. He agreed to repay $225,000 in restitution. His cooperating plea gives prosecutors an admitted participant who can testify about the scheme's mechanics in any trial against Williamson.

Becerra cooperated with federal investigators and was identified in court documents as 'Public Official 1.' Neither Newsom nor Becerra was charged. FBI Sacramento and IRS Criminal Investigation jointly led the multi-year probe that produced the indictment, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California — a federal prosecution office within the DOJ's prosecutorial framework — made the charging decision.