Gov. Gavin Newsom will release his latest tax returns by the end of July, his office confirmed. This decision aims to conclude weeks of questions regarding his delay in disclosing records beyond those from 2020, despite previous commitments to annual transparency.
“The remaining returns will be shared this month,” Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo said in a statement. She added that the returns are “unremarkable and entirely consistent with what Californians already know from his annual Form 700 disclosures.” Crofts-Pelayo also noted that Newsom has publicly released tax returns while on the ballot and is willing to go beyond that by releasing the additional years.
Californians can already access disclosures of the governor's income, investments, gifts, assets, liabilities, business interests, and other financial information online through his annual Form 700 filings. The governor's office indicated that the upcoming tax returns are not expected to contain any significant revelations.
The announcement follows an exchange during a recent news conference where Newsom responded to questions about the missing tax returns and ongoing federal investigations involving him, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, staff members, and individuals within his political circle. When pressed by The Post, Newsom quipped, “I know you love taxes,” before referencing former President Donald Trump's own tax return disclosures.
Newsom had previously asserted he had released his taxes for decades and promised the newer returns would be made available. Despite pledging to release his returns annually while in office, Newsom has not publicly shared tax filings beyond those covering the 2020 tax year. While he released multiple years of returns during his gubernatorial campaigns, no additional filings have been published since 2022.
The absence of these returns has drawn attention amid federal investigations into matters concerning Newsom's administration and political associates. The governor disclosed in the previous month that he and his wife were subjects of a federal probe, which he has characterized as a politically motivated action by the Trump administration against political opponents. Reports indicate that federal investigators have examined Jennifer Siebel Newsom's taxes and are separately probing matters connected to Dana Williamson, Newsom's former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty in May to charges including conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to the FBI. Williamson's sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 17.
Newsom has consistently dismissed the investigations as politically motivated, suggesting they are intended to undermine his potential candidacy for president in 2028.