A Democrat insider who reportedly secretly wore an FBI wire to help take down Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff is now a liability for Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner to become California’s next governor.
The California Post has learned Alexis Podesta, an informant in a sweeping public corruption case, is now the subject of multiple investigations by California’s political watchdog the Fair Political Practices Commission — including one involving one of Becerra’s political committees.
Podesta, 45, is also being investigated over an allegation she failed to disclose more than $1 million in lobbying income.
The investigations are raising new questions about the FBI’s star cooperating witness and whether the scrutiny could become a distraction for Becerra’s gubernatorial campaign.
The attorney for Dana Williamson, Newsom’s disgraced former chief of staff, told The California Post Podesta secretly wore the wire during an expansive public corruption investigation.
Williamson was Podesta’s longtime mentor who pleaded guilty to federal tax and wire fraud charges in May.
Williamson handed much of her political consulting business to Podesta after joining Newsom’s administration in late 2022, including work on Becerra’s political campaigns.
Campaign records reveal Becerra maintained a political committee for a potential campaign for state superintendent of public instruction in 2030.
The Podesta Company was paid at least $170,000 in 2023 and 2024 for campaign consulting. At the time, Becerra was serving in Joe Biden’s cabinet as secretary of Health and Human Services.
The payments show how closely Podesta remained tied to Becerra’s political operation, with Williamson entrusting her with the numerous consulting accounts she had managed before joining Newsom’s administration in January, 2023.
According to federal prosecutors, Williamson directed dormant campaign committees to send roughly $10,000 a month to The Podesta Company under the guise of campaign consulting.
Prosecutors allege Podesta’s firm then routed the money through a company controlled by Greg Campbell, another lobbyist, before it was ultimately paid to the spouse of longtime Becerra political consultant, Sean McCluskie, for work prosecutors say was never performed.
After Williamson was indicted last November, the FPPC initiated an investigation involving Becerra’s political committee, Podesta, Williamson, Campbell, McCluskie and political consultant Robert Herrera.
Campbell and McCluskie have also pleaded guilty to related federal corruption charges.
Podesta is also the subject of two additional FPPC matters. One was opened after her attorney self-reported potential disclosure violations.
The other alleges she failed to properly disclose sources of more than $1 million in lobbying income on required financial disclosure forms.
“She listed her company, The Podesta Company, of which she is the sole proprietor,” the most recent complaint states.
“However, she failed to report the numerous special interests and corporations that have provided her with in excess of $1 million in income to this company.”
Property records reviewed by The Post show Podesta — who lives in Carmichael with her husband, Joshua — also purchased a $1.85 million coastal home by Bodega Bay in September 2025 before selling it less than nine months later for more than $2 million.
The four-bedroom home was listed in April and the sale closed June 1, according to Marin County records.
Podesta and her attorneys did not respond to requests for comment about her role in the FBI investigation, the state ethics investigations or the FPPC allegations.
The revelations of the state ethics investigations comes just one day after Williamson’s attorney revealed exclusively to The Post that Podesta secretly wore a recording device for the FBI during the corruption, which has stunned California’s Democratic political establishment.
“As someone who worked well with both of them for a long time, this whole scenario is unimaginable to me,” Democratic political consultant Steve Maviglio told The Post, noting the pair have worked side-by-side for years.
Podesta, 45, spent decades building a reputation as one of Sacramento’s most influential political operatives before launching The Podesta Company in 2020 after serving in senior positions under former Gov. Jerry Brown.
Despite Podesta’s cooperation with federal investigators and the pending FPPC investigations, she remains on the board of the State Compensation Insurance Fund, where Newsom appointed her in 2020.
She receives nearly $61,000 in annual compensation.
Meanwhile, the governor’s office forcefully rejected any suggestion that Podesta’s cooperation with the FBI had anything to do with the Justice Department’s separate investigations into Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
“There is no evidence that the alleged use of a wire on one of the FBI’s informants is in any way connected to the governor,” Newsom spokeswoman Tara Gallegos said in an email to The Post.
“That investigation had nothing to do with the governor. The charges against Ms. Williamson had to do with conduct from before she worked for the governor.”
Court records from Williamson’s indictment and plea deal note that she discussed official state business with Podesta, including a controversial lawsuit involving video game company Activision Blizzard.
Gallegos also accused the Justice Department of conducting “a lawless fishing expedition” at President Trump’s direction.
Maviglio said any effort by Newsom’s administration to remove Podesta from her state board position could create its own political problems.
“She’s still under investigation, that’s the biggest issue,” Maviglio said.
“If they fire her, that would be a bad look for the administration. It would look like they don’t like her because she has information on them, which may or may not be true.”
Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing in the corruption probe, but his lack of awareness of the crimes involving his campaign committees has raised concerns as he seeks the highest office in California.
His campaign declined The Post’s request for comment on his relationship with Podesta.
