California Governor Gavin Newsom has hired prominent defense attorney Abbe Lowell, who previously represented Hunter Biden, as federal investigators examine allegations of public corruption within Newsom's administration. Newsom confirmed Lowell's hiring, stating the governor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have not been contacted by federal officials or subpoenaed.
Newsom has characterized the Department of Justice's federal investigation as a "fishing expedition." A source familiar with the matter indicated that the Newsom administration is facing multiple investigations, with allegations of public corruption potentially involving the governor, his wife, and current and former staff members. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California is reportedly probing allegations brought forward by California whistleblowers concerning Siebel Newsom's taxes and former chief of staff Dana Williamson. Another source suggested that Newsom's announcement of hiring Lowell may have been prompted by concerns about which individuals investigators have already contacted, aiming to "poison the well and delegitimize the whole process."
Lowell, who has also represented other high-profile Democrats, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, represented Hunter Biden in both federal tax charges in California and an illegal firearms case in Delaware. President Joe Biden later pardoned his son.
Lowell himself has faced scrutiny. In September 2024, a lawsuit accused him of acting with "clear malice" and harming the reputations of IRS employees investigating Hunter Biden by alleging to the media that they had illegally leaked private tax information. Lowell settled this lawsuit for $20 million with IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.
Newsom's political action committee, Campaign for Democracy, has been soliciting donations, framing the move as a defense against what Newsom has called the weaponization of the Department of Justice by former President Donald Trump. The PAC and associated accounts reportedly raised approximately $250,000 in the two weeks following Newsom's public accusations against the DOJ, primarily through small-dollar individual donations.