Governor Newsom filing FOIA request on Trump Administration's misuse of federal agents at redistricting event
California Governor - Gavin Newsom
Aug 17, 2025
What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom announced that his office is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to uncover information about motivations behind the Trump Administration's use of federal law enforcement at a redistricting press conference in an attempt to intimidate his political opponents.
SACRAMENTO - President Trump continues to misuse the national guard and federal law enforcement — pulling them from important enforcement work at the border to stop illegal trafficking — and instead using them as his personal police force and political pawns. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced he is filing a formal request for information about the Trump Administration's recent action and role in directing federal law enforcement and military personnel in what appeared to be an operation intended to intimidate those defending a fair electoral process and who Trump perceives as potential political threats.
"Trump's use of the military and federal law enforcement to try to intimidate his political opponents is yet another dangerous step towards authoritarianism. Trump is attempting to advance a playbook from the despots he admires in Russia and North Korea. We will not back down in our defense of democratic freedom, and the Trump administration should answer for this pathetic and cowardly behavior."
Governor Gavin Newsom
The Office of Governor Newsom is submitting the formal request for all documents, communications, and records regarding the Trump administration's decision to send dozens of federal agents just outside of a widely publicized event on August 14 at the Democracy Center in Los Angeles, where a group of people, including California's elected officials such as the Governor and congressional and California legislative leaders, gathered to announce an effort challenging to the administration's efforts to rig the upcoming midterm elections. The letter also requested information about the administration's communications with Fox News to embed a reporter and camera crew with the group of ICE agents.
This is the second federal Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Newsom administration about Trump's unlawful use of the military and misuse of public funds. On August 6, the Governor's Office requested documents and records to identify the total expenses incurred to activate the U.S. Marines and federalize the National Guard since June 7. Shortly after the deployment began, the Department of Defense staff testified to Congress that the Pentagon would spend $134 million on this deployment.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
