California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff pleaded guilty on May 14 in a federal public corruption case after taking a plea deal earlier this week.

Political consultant Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, California, stands accused of funneling campaign funds from former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to his aide.

Williamson signed the plea deal on May 11, admitting to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation spent years investigating this case, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California.

“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,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said in the statement. “These conspirators, three of whom are former public officials, shockingly looted campaign funds for personal benefit.”

Williamson and her alleged co-conspirators “weaponized public trust for personal gain,” Sid Patel, a Sacramento-based FBI agent, said. “They stole from a campaign account, fabricated contracts, filed false tax returns, and lied to federal agents.”

Conduit Scheme

According to court documents, Williamson conspired with Greg Campbell, 52, of Davis, Sean McCluskie, 57, of Davis, and others to steal $225,000 in funds from the dormant campaign fund and funnel it to McCluskie between February 2022 and September 2024.

Together, they allegedly funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s spouse for a “no-show” job.

Tax Returns

From 2021 to 2023, Williamson claimed more than $1.7 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as food delivery services, and luxury vacations to Mexico (twice) and Santa Barbara. She claimed private jet travel, purported wages for family members, home goods, veterinary services, landscaping services, and other nondeductible personal expenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In the plea deal, Williamson agreed to pay $504,523 to the IRS for full restitution of the tax loss.

False Statements

When questioned by FBI agents in November 2024, Williamson made false statements regarding the diversion of campaign funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Williamson also allegedly made false statements about her request to Campbell to create false and backdated contracts after she received a civil subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Campbell pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to defraud the federal government. McCluskie pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. They are scheduled for a status of sentencing hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on June 4.

Williamson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 9 before the same judge.

She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and $225,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. For filing a false tax return, she faces up to three years in prison, a $100,000 fine, and $504,523 in restitution to the IRS.

She also faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements.

Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, told reporters at a May 14 press conference that the scheme was McCluskie’s idea.

Scott said he will argue for no jail time for Williamson, and that it’s unlikely she will be sentenced to the maximum 30 years in prison.

With very few exceptions, that “never happens,” he said.

Becerra, a former attorney general of California, is currently running in the June 2 primary election for governor. He has maintained he didn’t know about the scheme. He came under fire from political opponents who tried to link him to the corruption investigation.

Fellow Democratic rival Katie Porter criticized Becerra in a CNN interview regarding the ongoing corruption investigation linked to his former campaign account, saying he “cannot promise Californians that he will not be named as a co-conspirator in this corruption charge.”

Becerra then told Fox News Digital that Porter’s claims were false, saying the FBI had already reviewed the matter and “found no wrongdoing by Xavier Becerra.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson, Katherine T. Lydon, and Matthew Thuesen, and Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey are prosecuting the case.