SouthernWorldwide.com – California Attorney General Rob Bonta has strongly reiterated Governor Gavin Newsom’s accusations that the Trump administration engaged in the “weaponization” of the Justice Department.
This stance comes after Bonta was questioned regarding reports that a federal probe involving Newsom and his wife originated within California, not from the Trump administration in Washington D.C.
“I know what I’ve concluded is that this is highly dubious — there’s no trust in it,” Bonta stated. “This is someone who’s weaponized the U.S. DOJ time and time again. I think he’s doing it now.”
Newsom himself took to X on Monday to publicly announce his discovery that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, are under investigation by the DOJ. He claimed that President Donald Trump directed the DOJ to investigate them, labeling them as having joined “Donald Trump’s hit list.”
Newsom is widely suggesting that Trump is targeting him due to recent speculation about a potential presidential bid in 2028.
“Newsom is the governor for the biggest state, the bluest state in the nation, the fourth largest economy in the world,” Bonta observed. “Everyone knows that he could be president of the United States. So you put that situational awareness and context into this, and what do you conclude?”
Bonta further alleged that Trump had instructed former Attorney General Pam Bondi “to go after his political enemies.”
“If that doesn’t destroy trust and make you doubt the intent behind this probe, I don’t know what else I can tell you,” Bonta asserted.
Bonta claimed that Trump had utilized the DOJ for “political persecution” against his opponents, specifically mentioning “shifty Schiff.”
A source also indicated to the Associated Press that Washington was not involved in the initial decision to launch the probe.
An investigation initiated last year under President Joe Biden led to corruption charges against Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson. Williamson pleaded guilty to lying about sharing internal information with a former associate. Newsom himself was not personally involved in that probe.
It is reportedly believed by Newsom’s office that federal investigators from the Trump administration broadened the scope of that probe to include Newsom.
The Governor’s office announced on Monday that it had submitted a public records request to the DOJ. They are seeking documents that mention Newsom or his wife during Trump’s second term, including any communications to and from Justice Department leaders.
