Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche shot back at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claims of political targeting by the Department of Justice in the top prosecutor’s first public remarks on the matter.
Blanche said at a Wednesday news conference that he could not comment on any pending investigations, but he did dismiss Newsom’s claims that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were being investigated in an act of political retaliation by the Trump administration.
“The only thing I’ll say about what he chose to do and what he chose to say is that I’m not sure his words are in any way grounded in fact,” Blanche said. “He’d have to address that.”
Newsom last month was the first to come forward with the news of the probe, claiming federal agents had questioned his family, friends and employees.
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets, he’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit,” he said at the time.
The governor’s office had even suggested that that the investigation ramped up right when Blanche was being considered for the attorney general role permanently.
On Wednesday, Blanche seemed to dismiss his statements.
“He can choose to say whatever he thinks helps him — it doesn’t make it true,” the attorney general said.
Sources previously told The California Post that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California is specifically probing allegations brought forward by California whistleblowers regarding Newsom’s wife’s taxes, as well as his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and potentially some current staff.
News of the probe has heightened scrutiny of governor helping funnel more than $4.4 million from special interests and wealthy individuals to California Partners Project, one of Siebel Newsom’s pet projects.
In response to Blanche’s remarks, the governor’s office posted a meme with the caption “Why you always lyin.”
“Trump goons know that it’s not a crime to lie to a reporter,” his office added.
