The U.S. Attorney’s Office has declined to release subpoenas related to a federal investigation into California Governor Gavin Newsom’s international travel expenses, as reported by The Center Square. Lauren Horwood, a public information officer, stated that subpoenas are not public records. The Center Square also faced difficulties obtaining the subpoenas from federal courthouses, as there was no assigned case number to reference.
According to The San Francisco Standard, the subpoenas were issued in early September, requesting communication records between Newsom and his associates, as well as six years of international travel and related expenses linked to the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that finances the governor’s travel.
The Standard highlighted that Newsom has directed over $7.5 million in donations to the foundation, with a significant portion coming from two foundations that covered his inauguration costs. In total, Newsom has disclosed more than $340 million in behested payments to various organizations since 2019.
Tara Gallegos, a communications director for Newsom’s office, dismissed the investigation as a “baseless MAGA conspiracy theory,” asserting that it is an attack by the current administration against political opponents. She emphasized that there is no crime to investigate.
The Standard also reported that various aides and associates of Newsom, including his chief protocol officer and former chief of staff, had their international travel expenses covered by the foundation. Attempts to reach these individuals for comment were unsuccessful.
