Jennifer Siebel Newsom — the outspoken “first companion” of California Gov. Gavin Newsom — is now on the heart of a political and authorized combat involving her husband and President Trump’s Justice Division.
Newsom introduced on Monday that federal brokers have contacted mates, former staff and associates of the governor to focus on him and his spouse in what the governor’s workplace known as a politically motivated investigation because the governor weighs run for president in 2028.
“You may subpoena my information, you’ll be able to examine me, you’ll be able to harass me, put my title on each and any enemies checklist you could have, however go away my spouse and household out of your private vendetta,” Newsom mentioned in a social media video.
Siebel Newsom, 51, is a documentary filmmaker and nonprofit founder who has constructed her public profile round gender fairness, girls in management, little one care and the affect of media and expertise on children.
She grew up in Ross — an ultra-exclusive city in Marin County — and was a registered Republican till 2008, the identical 12 months she married Newsom. A lot of her household are ardent Republicans.
Earlier than her husband was elected governor in 2018, Siebel Newsom based the Illustration Venture, a nonprofit that promotes gender fairness by her documentaries. In newer years, the nonprofit has acquired assist from the California Companions Venture, a nonprofit Siebel Newsom seemingly designed in 2020 to carry her public profile and pay for her bills.
An evaluation by The Publish earlier this 12 months discovered that Newsom helped solicit greater than $4.4 million in behested funds to prop up the California Companions Venture with cash from particular curiosity teams and rich donors like native tribes, the Pritzker household, Silicon Valley Financial institution and Blue Protect of California Basis.
A number of have had enterprise earlier than the state or benefited from actions throughout Newsom’s time in workplace.
Newsom’s workplace has denied any connection between the donations and state selections, and a spokesperson mentioned the governor’s “selections are based mostly solely on serving one of the best pursuits of all Californians.”
Siebel Newsom doesn’t take a wage from the California Companions Venture, however IRS filings present she earned salaries round or above $150,000 from the Illustration Venture as its founder and chief inventive officer. The nonprofit made annual funds to Ladies Membership Leisure, her movie manufacturing firm.
Regardless of her outstanding, if not adjoining, position in politics, Siebel Newsom has repeatedly did not adjust to state enterprise submitting necessities.
Ladies Membership Leisure has been suspended or flagged as delinquent a number of instances over the previous 17 years for compliance failures, most lately in 2020. A California Secretary of State official instructed The Publish {that a} suspended firm “loses its rights, powers, and privileges to do enterprise in California.”
Lately, Siebel Newsom has served as an honorary chair of the California Volunteers Fee and co-chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Bodily Health and Psychological Effectively-Being.
On Monday, Siebel Newsom lashed out at Trump over the expansive federal probe.
“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his method or to problem those that get in his method,” she mentioned. “This isn’t presidential conduct, and the governor and I’ll proceed to talk reality to energy as a result of the American folks deserve a lot extra.”
