Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas seeking six years of records tied to the nonprofit that finances Gov. Gavin Newsom’s overseas travel, part of a criminal investigation examining whether donors who paid for those trips received favorable treatment from his administration, the San Francisco Standard reported Saturday.
The subpoenas, issued in early September by a U.S. Attorney’s Office in California, request testimony and communications involving the governor, his aides and others connected to the California State Protocol Foundation, according to the Standard’s review of the documents. One subpoena states that the records are “for use in a criminal investigation pending in the Eastern District of California,” and was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Anderson.
What Investigators Are Seeking
The records demand covers communications with a circle of current and former Newsom aides, advisers and associates, the outlet reported. Among those named is Rebecca Prowda, Newsom’s chief protocol officer, who oversees his international travel and is married to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Investigators also reportedly want to examine communications with members of the Protocol Foundation’s board — some of whom are counted among Newsom’s closest advisers and confidantes. The Standard described the documents as providing “the clearest picture yet” of the scope of the probe into the governor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
At the center of the inquiry is the question of whether generous donors to the foundation later benefited from state policies — the kind of arrangement commonly described as “pay to play.”
A $7.5 Million Pipeline
The California Post reviewed state records and found that since 2019, Newsom has directed more than $7.5 million in donations from outside groups to the Protocol Foundation. Roughly $5.1 million of that total came from leftover inaugural funds, according to that review.
Several of the foundation’s leading donors have business before the state or are affected by decisions Newsom makes as governor. They include CVS, a foundation connected to Blue Shield, and Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company testing robotaxis in San Francisco and other California cities. Newsom also solicited money from the left-leaning dark money group New Venture Fund and from crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, per the reporting.
Other prominent contributors include foundations linked to philanthropists Susie Tompkins Buell and Lisa Stone Pritzker. Both women have helped fund Newsom’s political activities and have supported nonprofits run by his wife.
Newsom’s Office Blames Trump
The governor’s office responded to news of the investigation by pointing the finger at President Donald Trump. In a statement, the office said Newsom “went after the king” and that the president is now targeting those around him — echoing a warning the governor issued in June. The statement called the sequence — “investigate first, hunt for a crime that doesn’t exist second” — characteristic of Trump’s treatment of his political enemies, and said it was “deeply upsetting to see innocent staff, friends, and family have their names dragged through the mud just because they’re associated with the Governor.”
Newsom, a Democrat, is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, a status his supporters believe makes him a prominent target for Trump.
Foundation Defends Two-Decade Role
According to the Standard, the Protocol Foundation has covered travel expenses for California governors for more than two decades, drawing on private donations rather than taxpayer money. A spokesperson for the organization told the outlet it could not discuss or confirm any investigation but defended its mission.
“It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has proudly supported both Republican and Democratic administrations in fulfilling their duties representing all of California through public events and international engagements,” the spokesperson said.
The existence of the probe, first surfaced through subpoenas rather than any public charging document, leaves open questions about its ultimate direction. No charges have been announced against Newsom or anyone in his orbit, and the investigation’s findings have not been made public. The governor’s office has framed the matter as politically motivated rather than substantive.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/13/report-doj-criminal-probe-of-gavin-newsom-looking-at-benefactors-who-pay-for-his-travel/