Acting U.S. attorney general says Newsom’s claims not ‘grounded in fact’
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that the Justice Department is politically targeting the governor, saying the assertion is “not grounded in fact,” Blanche said at a news conference.
Blanche declined to comment on any ongoing investigations. “The only thing I’ll say about what he chose to do and what he chose to say is, I’m not sure his words are in any way grounded in fact,” Blanche said. “He’d have to address that.”
Newsom said June 15 that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, are being investigated by the Justice Department at the direction of President Donald Trump, a move Newsom called a politically motivated “fishing expedition.” Newsom has said the inquiry is aimed at undermining a possible White House campaign, saying, “To get me, he’s coming after my wife.”
Sources previously told Fox News that an investigation has been under way since 2025 based on whistleblower complaints related to the couple’s personal finances and that the matter is being handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento. Federal sources confirmed to Fox News that investigators have opened inquiries involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but Fox News has not learned of any federal investigation directly targeting the governor. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed any investigation.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker who runs the nonprofit The Representation Project, has faced scrutiny that Fox News reported as “pay-for-play” allegations. In a previous statement to Fox News, she said, “There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way.” After Blanche’s remarks Wednesday, the governor’s office posted a meme on social media with the caption, “Why you always lyin.” The governor’s press office wrote, “Trump goons know that it’s not a crime to lie to a reporter.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for additional comment.
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