California lobbyist pleads guilty in Capitol corruption case

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — The second of two men linked to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s embattled former chief of staff pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court.

Federal prosecutors accuse lobbyist Greg Campbell of helping Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff, in a scheme to draw $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to then-U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Prosecutors also said that Campbell, 52, created fake contracts for Williamson, who had obtained a loan from the Covid-19 paycheck protection program.

On Thursday, Campbell pleaded guilty to two counts: conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit offenses against the United States.

Campbell faces a maximum of five years in prison on each count, and total fines of $500,000. As part of his plea, he agreed to repay Becerra’s campaign the $225,000.

His sentencing isn’t yet set. Campbell is scheduled to return to court for a status conference about his sentencing on Feb. 26, 2026.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne Rust said her office wouldn’t bring additional charges against Campbell based on the conspiracy. It also will recommend he receive a lesser sentence.

“I’m familiar with this case from another codefendant in this case,” said U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley, a Barack Obama appointee.

Sean McCluskie, who served as chief of staff to Becerra, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. A status conference about his sentencing is also set for Feb 26, 2026.

Both men now have pleaded guilty to a conspiracy prosecutors say is linked to Williamson, who has pleaded not guilty.

Williamson faces 11 counts of bank fraud, six counts of wire fraud, three counts of subscribing to a false tax return and one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy to interfere with governmental function and obstruct justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said.

Williamson is scheduled for a status conference before Nunley on Dec. 11.

The details of Campbell’s role in the scheme appear in documents connected to his plea agreement. However, only his name appears in those documents, with Williamson, McCluskie and others given designations like “co-conspirator 1” and “co-conspirator 4.”

According to prosecutors in those documents, McCluskie and Williamson met in early 2022 to discuss his desire for more money — needed for what prosecutors called a bicoastal lifestyle. McCluskie had taken a pay cut as chief of staff for Becerra and his expenses exceeded his income.

To obtain more money, prosecutors say McCluskie paid Williamson $7,500 a month from the dormant campaign account — supposedly the cost of maintaining the account. Williamson then paid $10,000 each month to a company controlled by Campbell, and that company paid McCluskie’s wife $10,000 a month for a no-show job, according to prosecutors.

“Campbell further acknowledged that such conduct amounted to ‘laundering money,’ and it was, indeed, ‘wrong,’” prosecutors said in the documents.

That conspiracy lasted from February 2022 to September 2024, Rust said.

Campbell’s second charge stemmed from fake contracts he made for Williamson during the summer of 2024.

During that summer, Williamson was responding to a federal subpoena about a paycheck protection program loan she’d received. Despite never having a contract with Campbell, Williamson asked him to create a retroactive contract for her, prosecutors say.

“The contracts were signed and backdated,” prosecutors added. “The fake contracts made it appear as though co-conspirator 1 was only providing non-lobbying services to her clients and her firm was only a subcontractor for Campbell’s independently owned lobbying firm.”