California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have turned to Hunter Biden’s former attorney as federal investigators scrutinize financial and nonprofit matters involving the first partner and a separate federal fraud case has ensnared the governor’s former chief of staff.

The hiring of prominent Washington defense lawyer Abbe Lowell, whose recent clients have included high-profile figures who have clashed with Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former President Joe Biden’s son, comes as Newsom dismisses the scrutiny as a politically motivated «fishing expedition» aimed at one of President Donald Trump’s most visible Democratic opponents. 

In a news conference Tuesday, the California governor confirmed he had obtained Lowell’s counsel.

GAVIN NEWSOM CLAIMS TRUMP ORDERED DOJ PROBE TARGETING HIM AND HIS WIFE

Lowell, a veteran white-collar defense attorney who served as House Democrats’ chief minority counsel during former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, has represented a bipartisan roster of political heavyweights over his decades-long career. 

His past clients include Hunter Biden, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez and John Edwards and an employee of longtime Trump ally Tom Barrack.

More recently, Lowell has represented several prominent figures who say they have been targeted by the Trump administration, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid. 

Lowell did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions in time for publication.

At least two criminal investigations connected to Newsom’s family and political orbit have been handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, according to CalMatters. Citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, the outlet reported that both originated with whistleblowers and people in Sacramento.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS

One inquiry reportedly involves tax-related scrutiny involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom and financial arrangements connected to her nonprofit and filmmaking work. The other centered on former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson, who later pleaded guilty in a separate federal fraud case that prosecutors say grew out of an investigation launched during the Biden administration.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom embrace during a campaign event in 2025. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Times reported that nonprofits and a for-profit production company founded by Siebel Newsom are at the center of the federal scrutiny into her charity and business finances. The Justice Department and FBI have not commented publicly on the investigation, according to the Times. The Justice Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions in time for publication.

Among the organizations identified by the Times is the Representation Project, a nonprofit that federal tax records show has paid Siebel Newsom more than $1.9 million in compensation. The nonprofit also awarded roughly $2.2 million in contracts to Girls Club Entertainment, a for-profit production company separately owned by Siebel Newsom.

CRUZ PUSHES BILL TO HOLD TAX-EXEMPT SPONSORS ACCOUNTABLE AS DOJ PROBES SINGHAM NETWORK

The Times also identified the California Partners Project, another nonprofit founded by Siebel Newsom. State disclosures reviewed by the outlet show it has received nearly $5.1 million in «behested payments» reported by the governor since 2020. Behested payments are donations made at an elected official’s request for charitable, legislative or governmental purposes rather than contributions to the official’s political campaign.

Newsom and his wife have maintained that the current Justice Department is weaponizing investigations in retaliation for the pair’s criticism of Trump and his national political profile. However, in an interview last week with MS NOW, Siebel Newsom was asked about the origin of the probes and said she did not know the details.

U.S. President Donald Trump (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Newsom’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether he has been contacted by any federal investigators in relation to these cases or any others. However, Newsom did tell KCRA-3 in California during a news conference Tuesday he believes it is just a matter of time until he does.

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«It’s inevitable, come on,» Newsom said when asked about any contact from federal investigators. «Look at who we’re dealing with.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, which referred all questions to the Justice Department.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Finalmente, el alcalde de Nueva York, Zohran Mamdani, dijo que la ciudad no podría ejecutar una orden de arresto emitida por la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) contra el primer ministro israelí Benjamin Netanyahu, pero instó al gobierno federal a hacerlo.

«Mi administración ha analizado todas las vías disponibles en virtud de la legislación aplicable para determinar si la ciudad de Nueva York podría ejecutar la orden de aprehensión de la Corte Penal Internacional en caso de que Benjamin Netanyahu viniera aquí. Es evidente que no contamos con la autoridad legal independiente para hacer cumplir esta orden«, señaló Mamdani, en un video publicado el martes por la noche en sus redes sociales.

En cambio, el alcalde de Nueva York instó al gobierno de Donald Trump a cumplir con la orden, cuando el líder israelí viaje a la ciudad para la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas, el próximo 8 de septiembre. «El gobierno federal sí tiene (autoridad legal), y los insto a que se unan a la CPI y ejecuten esta orden de aprehensión», afirmó.

Por otra parte, aclaró que «Netanyahu no es bienvenido en la ciudad de Nueva York, ni tampoco ningún otro criminal de guerra que se encuentre prófugo».

Mamdani acusó al líder israelí de ser «el artífice de un horrible genocidio contra el pueblo palestino» y lo responsabilizó por «la muerte de más de 73.000 personas y de la mutilación de decenas de miles de niños».

Además, le endilgó «los ataques contra hospitales neonatales y centros de atención materna, negando a los recién nacidos incluso la oportunidad de vivir», y de «dejar morir de hambre» a «innumerables personas» al «impedir que les llegaran alimentos y ayuda humanitaria». También lo acusó del «asesinato a tiros de cientos de trabajadores humanitarios y periodistas».

«Cualquiera que tenga ojos, corazón y conciencia debería reconocer la devastación que él ha causado y comprender que debe comparecer ante un tribunal», señaló, en tanto agregó: «Estoy de acuerdo con la CPI en que Benjamin Netanyahu debe ser detenido y juzgado por sus crímenes«.

Pero Trump terminó la polémica el lunes al escribir en su cuenta de Truth Social que «Benjamin Netanyahu no será detenido, de ninguna manera, bajo ningún concepto, mientras se encuentre en los Estados Unidos de América».

El presidente estadounidense no sólo se ha negado repetidamente a arrestar a Netanyahu -de hecho, la última visita del israelí a los Estados Unidos fue en febrero-; también ha decretado sanciones contra la CPI, incluyendo a Karim Khan, el ex fiscal de la CPI que ordenó la detención del líder israelí y varios de sus funcionarios.

En 2024, la CPI, con sede en La Haya, acusó a Netanyahu y a varios de sus funcionarios de realizar crímenes de guerra y crímenes de lesa humanidad relacionados con la ofensiva de Israel en Gaza, tras el ataque del 7 de octubre de 2023, perpetrado por Hamás.

La CPI consideró que Netanyahu es «presuntamente responsable de los crímenes de guerra consistentes en el uso del hambre como método de guerra y en dirigir intencionalmente un ataque contra la población civil; y de los crímenes de lesa humanidad consistentes en asesinato, persecución y otros actos inhumanos, desde al menos el 8 de octubre de 2023 hasta, como mínimo, el 20 de mayo de 2024″.

La semana pasada, Mamdani le había dicho al New York Times que él y el departamento legal de la ciudad estaban discutiendo el posible arresto de Netanyahu si viaja a la ciudad de Nueva York para la Asamblea General de la ONU.

«Creo que el primer ministro Netanyahu pertenece a La Haya», le dijo al NYT. «Sea lo que sea que la ley me permita hacer en la ciudad de Nueva York, eso haremos», afirmó en la entrevista.

De hecho, Mamdani basó parte de su campaña para la alcaldía en que trataría de ordenar a la policía de la ciudad que arrestara a Netanyahu en virtud de la orden de la CPI.

La CPI no tiene una fuerza policial propia que ejecute las órdenes de detención y depende, para ello, del compromiso con la ley de los Estados. Países clave como Estados Unidos, China y Rusia no son miembros de la Corte, no reconocen su jurisdicción, ni la respaldan cuando se trata de casos que les afectan a ellos o sus aliados.

Several findings in the latest Fox News Poll show voters are unhappy and want major change, which bodes well for Democrats in November: President Donald Trump’s job approval remains near a record low, more Democrats are motivated to vote, Republicans join Democrats and independents in rating the economy negatively, and 4 in 10 voters want «dramatic» or «revolutionary» change. Plus, more view the GOP as tied to elites than the Democratic Party.

 Voters say Democrats can better handle income inequality (+22 points), healthcare (+21), inflation (+10), the economy (+9), and foreign policy (+7).  Republicans hold the advantage on crime (+7 points), while government spending (Democrats +3) and national security (R +2) are more evenly divided. On immigration, the GOP had an 8-point edge in April. Now, Democrats are preferred by one point. 

FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE GEORGIA SENATE RACE

More Democrats (68%) say they are extremely motivated to vote in November than Republicans (57%) by an 11-point margin. By a 25-point spread, more MAGA Republicans (66%) are extremely motivated than non-MAGA Republicans (41%).

FOX NEWS POLL: A CLOSE SENATE CONTEST IS BREWING IN IOWA

If the election were today, 53% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 46% the Republican. That 7-point edge is just outside the poll’s margin of error. Democrats were up by 5 points in April. Notably, 53% is the highest percentage either party has received on the generic House ballot in Fox News polling since 1996.

When looking only at counties where the 2024 presidential vote was close — Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris within 10 points — the Democratic candidate leads by 59-41%.

«Although these data look promising for the Democrats, some of their support is in less-contested districts, padding their national totals without adding House seats,» says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. «The best estimates I’ve seen suggest the GOP could retain the House even if the Democrats win the national vote by 2-3 points, but if Democrats win by 6-7 points, they probably take the House.»

The Democratic advantage comes amid weak ratings for Trump and continued economic pessimism. Trump’s job approval stands at 39%, unchanged for the third month in a row and one point above his low of 38% in October 2017. Approval of Trump is a touch lower than former President Barack Obama’s at the same point in his second term (42% in July 2014).

Trump received net-negative ratings for handling immigration (42% approve, 57% disapprove), Iran (34-66%), the economy (33-67%), and inflation (27-73%).

Three-quarters rate the economy negatively, about the same for the past six months.

Another three quarters say inflation has caused them financial hardship, including 34% who say «serious» hardship, up from 26% last year.

Fifty-four percent expect the economy to worsen in the coming year; only Republicans express optimism (71%), while Democrats (75%) and independents (64%) expect it to worsen.

Dissatisfaction extends beyond individual figures to both political parties and the broader economic system.

«Democrats and Republicans have a surprisingly broad array of shared beliefs about politics today,» says Shaw. «Both think elected officials answer to the elites, both think the system is rigged, both want to see new blood in office, both feel betrayed by their party, both disapprove of their members in Congress, and both want a mandatory retirement age for Congress.»

Some 70% say the Republican Party is closely tied to elite interests, while 55% say the same about the Democratic Party. The 15-point gap reflects more Democrats and independents saying the GOP is tied to elites, yet even Republicans are equally likely to describe both parties as close to elites.

There’s disillusionment in both parties. Many Democrats (48%) and Republicans (41%) say they feel betrayed by their party, and for both it is primarily for selling out to special interests.

Perceptions that the political system favors elites are reshaping views of the economy as well. The number who accept income inequality because «that’s how our economy works» has fallen 16 points compared to 2014 (from 62% to 46%), while the share who want government action has more than doubled (from 13% to 30%).

At the same time, an increasing number, 65%, think the country’s system is rigged in favor of the wealthy (up 9 points compared to 2019). 

By 2-to-1, voters say it is more important to elect new people than keep those with experience.

Overall, 19% say they want revolutionary change in the nation’s government, while many others want substantial (38%) or dramatic (23%) change.

Almost twice as many Democrats (52%) as Republicans (28%) want dramatic or revolutionary change. 

Nearly 7 in 10 voters disapprove of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Some 32% of Republicans disapprove of their party’s lawmakers, while 39% of Democrats disapprove of theirs. More than 8 in 10 independents disapprove of both.

Fully 85% support a mandatory retirement age for members of Congress, up 20 points since 2002.

Of those in favor of setting a cap, 80% think it should be before age 75, with 61% selecting a cutoff between 65 and 74 — a boundary supported by more than half of every generation.

Poll-pourri

Just 50% of voters have a positive view of capitalism, down from a high of 57% in 2019. For socialism, it’s 30% favorable, up from 27% last year but below the 32% who said the same in 2021. The Democratic Socialists of America are viewed positively by 31%.

By an 11-point margin, more Democrats have a favorable opinion of socialism (52%) than capitalism (41%), while by a 50-point margin, more Republicans have a positive view of capitalism (61%) than socialism (11%).

Forty-five percent of voters have a favorable view of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., That makes him more popular than Vice President JD Vance (41% favorable), Trump (38%), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., (35%).  Each is viewed more unfavorably than favorably. Voters under 30 and those ages 65+ are equally likely to view Sanders positively (48% and 46% respectively). For AOC, more voters 65+ (41%) have a favorable view than young voters (33%), and three times as many of those under 30 say they’ve never heard of her (30% vs. 9%).

Overall, 44% have a favorable view of Israel, down from 58% a decade ago. Positive ratings are lower today among Democrats (by 14 points), Republicans (-12), and independents (-21). Voters ages 65 and over (56%) are twice as likely to view Israel favorably as those under 30 (27%).

Conducted July 17–20, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (70) and cellphones (681) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (252). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. The survey includes an oversample of 200 voters aged 18–29, bringing the sample size for that subgroup to 350 (±5). Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling errors, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.