When federal prosecutors dropped a 23-count indictment on Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson, Sacramento didn’t scatter; it closed ranks.

A SpotFund donation popped up to jump-start Williamson’s legal defense Monday. The fundraiser was no ordinary crowdfunding appeal, sitting at a $100,000 campaign goal. The effort immediately drew donations from Sacramento insiders, lobbyists and former state officials.

The SpotFund page for Williamson — who collected nearly $313,000 in state salary and benefits in 2024 as Newsom’s executive secretary — was launched by Steve Maviglio , arguably one of the most connected operatives in California politics.

A former New Hampshire legislator, Maviglio served as press secretary to Gov. Gray Davis, deputy chief of staff to then Assembly

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