Gavin Newsom raked in $250K in donations after funding plea amid DOJ probe

It’s been a month since California Gov. Gavin Newsom sounded the alarm on a federal investigation into the governor, his wife and their associates — and he’s netted some serious dough in the process, according to campaign finance records.

Within hours of releasing a video accusing President Donald Trump of weaponizing the Department of Justice, Newsom’s political action committee, Campaign for Democracy, sent out an email pleading for money to help with his potential legal defense and political strategy.

That cash plea appears to have worked. Newsom raised $250,000 in the first two weeks from the PAC and two associated accounts — Campaign for Democracy Committee and Campaign for Democracy Group — according to documents filed Wednesday, consisting mostly of small-dollar individual donations.

The campaign team for Newsom, who is considering a 2028 presidential run, told The Sacramento Bee that the email was a major factor in the money raised.

“Raising roughly a quarter of a million dollars from a single email in minutes demonstrates the strength of Governor Newsom’s grassroots network and his ability to quickly mobilize supporters when it matters most,” a spokesperson said.

The Campaign for Democracy accounts, which were formed in 2023, have spent millions on political advertising and polling, and supported other Democratic candidates while boosting Newsom’s national profile.

Newsom has also used the PACs to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to current and former staffers in the Governor’s Office, covered more than $90,000 in podcasting expenses and underwrote his recent book tour, renting out venues and spending more than $1.5 million on copies of “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.”

As of June 30, the governor’s war chest had about $14.4 million on hand, according to the Wednesday filings.

The DOJ probe has been the latest twist in the governor’s potential bid for the White House, helping him position himself as the anti-Trump candidate.

Sources have told The California Post that an angle of investigations has been particularly focused on Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom and her taxes. The Post revealed in March the governor helped funnel more than $4.4 million from special interests and wealthy individuals to California Partners Project, one of Siebel Newsom’s pet projects.

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