After the federal indictment against Dana Williamson, Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, was dropped, the city of Sacramento didn’t point fingers—it rallied behind her.
On Monday a SpotFund campaign was launched to kick‑start Williamson’s legal defense. Unlike most crowdfunding efforts, the fundraiser was aimed at raising $100,000 in just a few days, and it quickly attracted donations from local insiders, lobbyists and former state officials.
The SpotFund page for Williamson—who earned nearly $313,000 in state salary and benefits in 2024 as Newsom’s executive secretary—was created by Steve Maviglio, a well‑connected political operative in California. Maviglio’s resume reads like a résumé of power: a former New Hampshire legislator, press secretary to Gov. Gray Davis, deputy chief of staff to Assembly Speakers Fabian Núñez and Karen Bass (now mayor of Los Angeles), and a key figure in defeating Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “year of reform” ballot measures.
Early contributions were swift. Mark Krausse, appointed by Newsom in 2024 to the Public Employment Relations Board, sent the first $1,000, writing, “We love you, Dana! Anything we can do to help! Krausse family.” Krausse’s background includes 17 years as a Pacific Gas & Electric lobbyist. An anonymous donor also chipped in $1,000, lobbyists Vicki and Christy Barr‑Bouma contributed $500, and former Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker added $250. The fundraiser’s goal remains $100,000.
The campaign’s page noted, “From the moment news broke about our friend Dana, she’s received an outpouring of support from friends, family and colleagues across the nation. Your kind messages—fueled by collective outrage and fierce loyalty—have been invaluable as she fights the legal battle of her life.”
Williamson was earlier indicted on 23 federal counts, alleging she stole $225,000 in campaign funds and claimed more than $1 million in personal expenses—including private jet travel, luxury clothing and home furnishings—as business deductions on false tax returns. Court filings say that between February 2022 and September 2024 she conspired with others to siphon roughly $225,000 from a dormant political campaign, funneling the money into a no‑show job and fabricating backdated contracts after a subpoena over her COVID‑era PPP loan. She has pleaded not guilty.
Experts say Williamson’s career has placed her among California’s most powerful insiders. She worked for three governors, lobbied for a range of interest groups and managed ballot measure campaigns. The potential penalty now includes up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines for each bank and wire‑fraud count, along with additional sanctions for conspiracy, obstruction and filing false tax returns.
“Disguising personal luxuries as business expenses… is a serious criminal offense with severe consequences,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel added, “The FBI will remain vigilant in its efforts to uncover fraud and corruption, ensuring our government systems are held to the highest standards.” The case is the result of a multi‑year investigation by the FBI and IRS, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson, Rosanne Rust and Katherine T. Lydon, with Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey.
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