The former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California is now working for Gov. Gavin Newsom after being fired by President Donald Trump.
The New York Times reported that Newsom has hired Michele Beckwith as a deputy legal affairs secretary.
Flashback: Beckwith took over as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California after former attorney Phillip Talbert stepped down before Trump took office.
- Beckwith was serving as the acting attorney for the district for five months until the Trump administration fired her on July 15.
- Kimberly Sanchez briefly replaced her until the U.S. Department of Justice selected Eric Grant for the position.
The backstory: The New York Times previously reported that Beckwith was fired by the Trump administration after she told Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino that agents could not conduct immigration raids in Sacramento, per a federal court order.
- The Supreme Court went on in September to overturn the ruling from a Los Angeles judge that Beckwith had cited.
The big picture: Beckwith will provide legal counsel to Newsom and state agencies in her new position.
- Newsom previously supported Beckwith on social media. When she was fired, Newsom’s press office posted on X that “DEMOCRACY IS ON THE BRINK!”
What they’re saying: Beckwith told the New York Times that she was looking forward to “a very interesting year.”
- “To me, it’s not political – it’s existential for our country,” Beckwith told the paper. “So if there’s something I can do to assist in keeping our democracy and Constitution alive, that is what I am happy to do.”
- “Michele brings to our office more than 20 years of legal experience and invaluable knowledge of the law,” a Newsom spokesperson told the paper. “Trump’s loss is California’s gain.”
