Chabria: A former Becerra aide pleaded guilty in a fraud case. I still have questions
Key takeaways
- A thousand-yard stare in her eyes, Williamson responded “guilty” three times in a voice that required a microphone to be heard as the judge walked her through a plea deal reached days before with the U.S.
- It’s a colossal fall for a woman who wasn’t so much a consultant as a political operative to Becerra, Gov.
- Especially because, far from stealing money for self-enrichment, she actually paid money to be part of this scheme.
Dana Williamson leaves federal court in Sacramento in November. (Paul Kitagaki Jr. / TNS) By Anita Chabria Columnist Follow May 14, 2026 5:03 PM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
SACRAMENTO — Dana Williamson, one of the political heavyweights at the center of a financial scandal involving gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, looked shell-shocked Thursday morning in a federal courtroom in downtown Sacramento, as most folks do when bad choices collide with the hard realities of the justice system.
A thousand-yard stare in her eyes, Williamson responded “guilty” three times in a voice that required a microphone to be heard as the judge walked her through a plea deal reached days before with the U.S. Department of Justice. She likely won’t be sentenced until fall (possibly close to the general election) but will — again, just a likely here — at best face home confinement and at worst upward of three years in prison.