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Posted on 09/14/2026 5:15:55 AM PDT by Red Badger
Federal investigators seek six years of records involving Newsom’s international travel, outside funding, and expenditures related to his residence and personal expenses.
The federal government is conducting a criminal investigation related to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international travel and its funding, according to subpoenas reviewed by The Standard.
The subpoenas — which were issued in early September and requested testimony and communications with the governor, among others — seek six years of records involving the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that has paid for Newsom’s overseas travel, as well as communications with a circle of his current and former aides, advisers, and associates. Those aides include Rebecca Prowda, who oversees Newsom’s overseas travel as his chief protocol officer and is the wife of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
The documents provide the clearest picture yet of the scope of a federal investigation effort Newsom first disclosed in June(opens in new tab), which he said was focused on him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
“The records requested by this subpoena are for use in a criminal investigation pending in the Eastern District of California,” according to one of the subpoenas. It was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Anderson.
The records obtained via subpoena will be presented to a grand jury, a group of jurors that acts like a judge, reviewing evidence and testimony to decide if there’s sufficient grounds for an indictment.
Newsom’s office said the investigation is baseless and there are no crimes to investigate.
“Governor Newsom went after the king — and as he warned in June, the tyrant is now coming after everyone around him. This is what Donald Trump does to his enemies: investigate first, hunt for a crime that doesn’t exist second,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. “It’s deeply upsetting to see innocent staff, friends, and family have their names dragged through the mud just because they’re associated with the Governor.”
Newsom has said he’s considering running for the presidency, which could heighten the Trump administration’s interest in making him a target of federal prosecutors.
Prowda did not respond to a request for comment.
One of the subpoenas sought records, correspondence, and receipts related to the California State Protocol Foundation, including information about its donors and fundraisers. It also sought records involving the governor’s international travel and participation in international events, as well as records related to money used for the governor’s residence, living, or personal expenses.
The foundation has helped cover official travel expenses for California governors for more than two decades, using private donations rather than taxpayer funds(opens in new tab).
A spokesperson for the foundation said it could not discuss or verify an investigation, but defended its work.
“It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has proudly supported both Republican and Democratic administrations in fulfilling their duties representing all of California through public events and international engagements,” the foundation spokesperson said.
The demand also extends into Newsom’s longtime political and government circle. One of the subpoenas requested communications with four members of the California State Protocol Foundation’s board. As recently as November 2025, the foundation was headed by Steve Kawa — former chief of staff for Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee — according to state records.
Communications with Kawa and other board members were subpoenaed, including Jim DeBoo, Newsom’s former executive secretary; Matina Kolokotronis, the longtime chief operating officer of the Sacramento Kings; and Jason Elliott, Newsom’s former deputy chief of staff.
Federal authorities also requested communications with Tom Willis, Newsom’s campaign counsel, who sits on the board of California Partners Project, the nonprofit co-founded by Siebel Newsom. Since 2020, Newsom has directed more than $5 million(opens in new tab) in outside donations to California Partners Project, which advocates for gender equity.
The Standard reached out to everyone named in the records request subpoena, but wasn’t immediately able to obtain comment.
Being named in the subpoena does not indicate that someone is the subject of the investigation or that the government believes they have done anything wrong. While the subpoenas don’t cite any specific alleged crime, their contents potentially suggest an investigation into the possibility of improper gifts or influence peddling. It’s possible that the scope of the investigation and its targets are broader than described in the subpoenas reviewed by The Standard.
The California State Protocol Foundation has received millions of dollars in outside contributions during Newsom’s tenure. Since 2019, Newsom has directed more than $7.5 million in donations from outside groups to the foundation, according to a review of state records by The Standard.
Most of that total — about $5.1 million — came from two nonprofit foundations that covered inauguration ceremony costs for the governor in 2019(opens in new tab) and 2023(opens in new tab). It’s only a fraction of all behested payments that Newsom has directed to organizations since taking office — about $349 million from 2019 through 2026, according to state records.
Two people named in the subpoena reviewed by The Standard were involved with those foundations. Kolokotronis sat on the board of the nonprofit that covered Newsom’s 2019 inauguration expenses, while DeBoo was CEO of the nonprofit that covered his 2023 inauguration expenses.
The subpoenas come on the heels of a letter sent to the governor(opens in new tab) from the Federal Election Commission demanding details about funding for his recent travels in the South to build support for Democrats before the primaries.
The U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of California, headed by Eric Grant, did not respond to a request for comment. FBI Agent Austin Harper, who is listed on one of the subpoenas, declined to comment. Grant was appointed by former Attorney General Pam Bondi in August 2025.
Newsom and people close to him have been under investigation by the Justice Department for more than a year, a DOJ source told Politico in June(opens in new tab).
Newsom has characterized the investigation as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target the president’s political adversaries. The Justice Department has denied that its investigations are politically motivated.
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An oligarchy of unethical scum.
“California state government. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”
Most Fed investigations of Dems = Arthritic Turtle Race.
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