California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently got one of the most valuable gifts any Democratic presidential aspirant could receive: He is being investigated by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

Newsom and his advisers quickly recognized their unlikely political windfall, announcing last week that Todd Blanche, Trump’s personal lawyer turned acting attorney general, and his minions were investigating the governor’s spouse as well as his former top adviser. Newsom’s team released a video casting the inquiry in starkly partisan terms, followed hours later by a fundraising appeal asking supporters for their help in the fight against Trump.

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Based on what’s currently known, the greater danger for Newsom is less likely legal than political — and not just from Trump.

Because Trump and his appointees have used the DOJ as an instrument of personal vengeance against the president’s opponents, Newsom’s pitch of a biased investigation is not a tough sell. The Wall Street Journal counted almost 20 investigations, and prosecutions have followed the more than four dozen demands that Trump has made for such actions since returning to office last year. The result of Trump’s statements and the subsequent legal actions is that not only loyal Democrats but also swing voters — not to mention grand juries — are inclined to view these investigations with great suspicion.

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If Trump had not so badly compromised the integrity of the DOJ, questions about the financial and tax activities of both Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, might have been taken far more seriously. But Newsom has astutely tapped into suspicions about Trump’s motivations to preemptively cast doubt on the allegations.

California’s first partner, Siebel Newsom is a documentary filmmaker, actress and advocate on gender issues. She runs several nonprofit organizations that focus on gender equity and identity projects. She has raised millions of dollars for these organizations, much of which have come from donors with business before the governor and who contributed in response to his direct requests. She has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for her work on these projects.

Dan Schnur

Dan Schnur, a registered Independent, teaches political communications at UC-Berkeley and the University of Southern California.