California lobbyist Greg Campbell and former chief of staff Sean McCluskie admitted conspiring to steal campaign funds and create fake PPP-related contracts; a third defendant faces trial.
Sacramento, CA. — A longtime California lobbyist and a former chief of staff to an elected official have pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges connected to a multi-year scheme involving stolen campaign funds and falsified documents tied to federal pandemic loans.
Greg Campbell, 52, of Davis, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His co-defendant, Sean McCluskie, 56, also of Davis, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.
According to court documents, McCluskie was serving as chief of staff to an elected official who later moved into a federal government role. Between February 2022 and September 2024, Campbell, McCluskie, and Carmichael consultant Dana Williamson, 53, conspired to siphon approximately $225,000 from the official’s dormant political campaign. Prosecutors say the money was funneled through business entities and disguised as payment for a no-show job held by McCluskie’s spouse—ultimately funding McCluskie’s “bicoastal lifestyle.”…