Newsom aide pleads guilty in Becerra fraud case
CalMatters • • nation
Key Points:
- Dana Williamson, a former political consultant for Xavier Becerra and ex-aide to Gov. Gavin Newsom, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, submitting a false tax return, and lying to federal investigators in a Sacramento corruption scandal.
- Prosecutors accused Williamson, Becerra’s longtime chief of staff Sean McCluskie, and lobbyist Greg Campbell of diverting $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant state campaign account to McCluskie, who was working in Washington at a lower salary.
- As part of the plea deal, Williamson agreed to pay $225,000 in restitution to Becerra and $500,000 to the IRS, with prosecutors recommending a 2.5 to 3-year federal sentence; McCluskie and Campbell also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced after the primary election.
- Becerra has not been charged and is considered a victim in the case, though questions remain about his knowledge of the scheme; his campaign maintains he was misled by McCluskie and denies wrongdoing.
- The plea deal emerged just weeks before the California gubernatorial primary, raising concerns about timing and political impact, with Williamson’s attorney noting an attempt to delay the announcement to avoid election interference.