California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff has been arrested and charged with a scheme to swipe $225,000 from a dormant campaign fund. The 23-count indictment alleges Dana Williamson, 53, conspired with Sean McCluskie, a former chief of staff to the then-Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Newsom put Williamson on leave when he learned the FBI was questioning her in November, and she left his administration a month later, Politico reports. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California charged Williamson with “conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, subscribing to false tax returns, and making false statements.” Williamson allegedly siphoned off cash from an inactive fund to McCluskie’s wife for what investigators called a “no-show” consultancy job. On Oct. 30, McCluskie signed a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Becerra, who is running for California governor, is being treated as a victim and cooperated with the investigation, The Washington Post reports. Williamson entered a not guilty plea in court.
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