Ex-aide to California Democrats admits guilt in scheme to steal campaign funds from health secretary
Williamson admitted to siphoning about $225,000 from a dormant Becerra campaign account and agreed to pay restitution to the IRS, prosecutors said.
- On Thursday, Dana Williamson pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements in a case involving the theft of campaign funds from gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra.
- Prosecutors alleged Williamson, Sean McCluskie, and Greg Campbell siphoned $225,000 from Becerra's campaign to help McCluskie relocate to Washington for his role in the Biden administration.
- Under the plea terms, Williamson agreed to pay $225,000 in restitution to Becerra and $500,000 to the IRS, while the government will dismiss 20 additional counts related to tax and COVID-era loan charges.
- Opponents have seized on the charges in negative ads to question Becerra's judgment, with the plea coming just over two weeks before the primary election that will determine his path forward.
- Prosecutors typically avoid political cases within 60 days of an election, yet Becerra remains one of six Democrats vying for the seat Newsom is vacating as a sentencing date remains to be scheduled.
84 Articles
84 Articles
Gavin Newsom and Xavier Becerra’s former top aide pleads guilty in campaign fund theft scheme
Dana Williamson, a longtime Democratic power player in Sacramento who served as a top aide to both Gov. Gavin Newsom and former federal health secretary Xavier Becerra, agreed to plead guilty Thursday to charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The plea stems from a scheme to siphon money from one of Becerra’s dormant state...
Gavin Newsom's Former Chief of Staff Pleads GUILTY in Massive Fraud Scheme
Well, what do you know? Yet another Democrat has just admitted to carrying out a major fraud scheme. This time, it’s California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former Chief of Staff, Dana Williamson. Last November, Williamson was charged alongside nearly two dozen other co-conspirators for partaking in a $225K plot to siphon funds from a dormant political campaign for Democrat Xavier Becerra. On Thursday, she plead guilty to three felony charges in exchange…
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