Gavin Newsom claims Trump ordered DOJ probe targeting him and his wife

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, under orders from President Donald Trump.

“After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” he said in a video statement. “And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen.”

The governor also claimed the investigation is intended to undermine any potential White House bid he may pursue in the future.

Sources familiar told Fox News that the investigation has been ongoing since 2025 and that the probe is based on whistleblower complaints related to Newsom and his wife’s personal finances. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento. 

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“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean Tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President,” he said. “Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out – over and over again – for his lies and deceit. Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history.” 

Newsom’s wife, Jennifer, is a documentary filmmaker who runs The Representation Project, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance feminism through media production. The charity has attracted “pay-for-play” allegations, with critics claiming that corporations with business interests in California donate to the organization to gain influence over Newsom.

“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way. This is not presidential behavior, and the Governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much more,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement to Fox News.

″One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list,” Newsom said in a video statement. “And today, I proudly join that list.”

Since Trump took office, the DOJ has set its sights on a number of Trump’s foes. Among them are former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Adam Schiff, and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Trump and Newsom have engaged in a number of high-profile clashes in recent years. 

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In November 2025, for instance, Trump nationalized the California National Guard to address anti-immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles, prompting Newsom to sue to regain control of the forces. The two have repeatedly traded blows over issues such as crime, homelessness and environmental issues.

The California governor’s office referred Fox News Digital to a fact sheet claiming that federal investigators spent months trying to indict Newsom and, upon failing, widened their search for criminal activity. The fact sheet also asserts that federal agents have subpoenaed records and conducted interviews covering years of activity.  

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Sources familiar told Fox News that there have been grand jury subpoenas, though did not specify who was subpoenaed nor their relation to the investigation into Newsom. 

The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Fox News’ David Spunt, Jake Gibson and Olivia Palombo contributed to this story.