Dana Williamon — Gavin Newsom’s ex-chief of workers — will get sentencing date

Dana Williamson, a former chief of workers to Gov. Gavin Newsom, will study this fall whether or not she’ll go to jail after pleading responsible in a corruption scheme that siphoned $225,000 from a marketing campaign committee tied to Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner to succeed Newsom.

A federal decide has scheduled Williamson’s sentencing for Sept. 17 on the Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento after prosecutors and protection attorneys reached an settlement on the timing, in keeping with The Sacramento Bee.

Williamson, who served as Newsom’s chief of workers from 2022 to 2024, pleaded responsible in Could to financial institution fraud, submitting a false tax return and mendacity to the FBI. She faces a statutory most sentence of 38 years in jail and fines totaling as much as $1.35 million, although federal sentencing pointers are anticipated to advocate considerably much less.

The once-powerful Democratic operative admitted serving to Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of workers, secretly funnel marketing campaign cash into his private checking account. The scheme relied on sham consulting contracts, prosecutors stated.

The case exploded into one of many largest political scandals in current California historical past after the FBI secretly enlisted Sacramento energy lobbyist Alexis Podesta to cooperate with investigators. Williamson’s legal professional, former U.S. Legal professional McGregor Scott, beforehand advised The Put up that Podesta — not Williamson — wore an FBI recording machine that captured conversations with political insiders, prompting federal brokers to interview or contact dozens of lobbyists, consultants and different Capitol energy brokers because the corruption probe widened.

Scott didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

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Federal authorities arrested Williamson final November alongside McCluskie and Sacramento lobbyist Greg Campbell. Campbell later admitted falsifying enterprise contracts to assist Williamson reply to a federal subpoena involving a COVID-era enterprise mortgage obtained by her consulting firm. Each males are nonetheless awaiting sentencing.

Podesta agreed to cooperate with federal authorities and was not indicted, in keeping with her legal professional.

The FBI recording helped investigators unravel a scheme that reached deep into California’s Democratic political community and triggered one of the vital important public corruption investigations the Capitol has seen in years.

Earlier than becoming a member of Newsom’s administration, Williamson constructed a profession on the highest ranges of California politics. She suggested former Gov. Jerry Brown, managed Becerra’s marketing campaign accounts and labored as a lobbyist for PG&E earlier than turning into considered one of Newsom’s closest aides.

Williamson’s sentencing comes as federal investigators are individually analyzing Newsom and his spouse, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, although neither has been accused of wrongdoing.