California's Gavin Newsom alleges justice department is investigating his wife and ex-staff

California Governor Gavin Newsom alleged on Monday that the US Department of Justice is investigating people in his orbit due to his political opposition to President Donald Trump.

"In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the door of family, friends, and former employees," Newsom said in a video. "Not because they found crime, because they're simply trying to find one."

Newsom, a Democrat, acknowledged speculation that he would seek the White House in 2028, alleging Trump was "coming after me because I'm considering running for president."

A source familiar with the investigation confirmed there were "several investigations ongoing" for "roughly a year", but denied Trump's involvement.

The investigations "all originated out of California, working through whistleblowers and government sources," the individual said, requesting anonymity to discuss an ongoing case.

Federal prosecutors in the state capital of Sacramento were handling the investigations, one of which pertained to Newsom's wife's taxes, and another related to Newsom's former chief of staff, the individual said.

The source did not specify which chief of staff, and Newsom did not say which current or former aides were under scrutiny.

But the governor's former chief of staff and a longtime California political operative, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to federal charges in May over a campaign finance fraud scheme that did not implicate Newsom.