Crime and corruption are two characteristics that have long defined members of the Domestic Terrorist Party, so this story shouldn’t surprise you too much. But who it involves means everything because one of the main players wants to be our next president.
Dana Williamson, the former chief of staff to California Governor Gavin Newsom, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning in federal court to three felony charges: conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent.
One of her co-conspirators was chief of staff for Biden’s HHS secretary, then-California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. How’s that for a double Democrat corruption whammy?
As part of her plea bargain, the remaining 20 counts against Williamson will be dismissed without prejudice at the time of sentencing. However, these charges can be reinstated if the agreement is voided or if Williamson violates or withdraws from the plea agreement:
Court documents reveal that between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson and multiple co-conspirators, including then-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, stole approximately $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant state political campaign account and “funnel[ed] it through various business entities and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s spouse for what was, in reality, a no-show job.”
McCluskie arranged for Williamson’s firm to be paid $10,000 a month by the campaign to purportedly oversee its required filings while Becerra served in the Biden administration, even though a campaign treasurer was already under contract to handle that. That money eventually found its way to McCluskie’s spouse, who Williamson had set up as an employee with a no-show job. Becerra, who’s been in elected office since 1990, filing campaign committee reports that entire time, and also served as California’s Attorney General, claims he had no knowledge of the scheme.
Williamson also underreported her income by a total of $1,718,277 between 2021 and 2023 by claiming personal expenses, such as a lavish 50th birthday vacation to Mexico, designer handbags, home renovation costs, and family law attorneys, as business expenses.
In addition, she was alleged to have fraudulently obtained a $300,000 PPP loan for her lobbying business; under the CARES Act, PPP loans could not be used for lobbying expenditures.
Becerra, by the by, was Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary; so two people associated with the highest-ranking Democrats in the God-awful state of California were involved in this.
It comes in mens and womens and lets your friends know you're happy to express your views and don't care what anyone thinks! Cheers!
Meanwhile, McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell, the third co-conspirator, have already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on June 4, two days after the end of California’s primary election month.
Williamson is charged with making multiple false statements to FBI investigators, which the Department of Justice says “were designed to lead the FBI away from Williamson’s criminal activity by concealing the nature of the conduit scheme, denying the backdating of contracts, and hiding Williamson’s involvement in passing information to former clients and business partners to give them an advantage in litigation against the state.”
Here’s more from U.S. Attorney Eric Grant:
As part of an investigation that began in 2022, Williamson joins the two others who were charged in the ‘Conduit Scheme’ conspiracy in pleading guilty. These conspirators, three of whom are former public officials, shockingly looted campaign funds for personal benefit. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue working to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that those who scorn the law are held accountable.
FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel noted further:
Dana Williamson and her co-conspirators weaponized public trust for personal gain. They stole from a campaign account, fabricated contracts, filed false tax returns and lied to federal agents. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation spent years investigating this case because integrity in public service isn’t optional. No title and no political connection places anyone above the law.
Williamson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and $225,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Additionally, he could serve up to three years in prison, pay a $100,000 fine, and owe $504,523 in restitution to the IRS for filing a false tax return. He also faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements.
She’s got some health problems, though – she just received a liver transplant in late January – so it’s not clear the federal judge overseeing the case will sentence her to that much time behind bars. But she should definitely do some time.
