Federal Bureau of Investigation agents seized electronic devices from former Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport and executed a search warrant at his Washington, D.C., home over the weekend, centering on an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Airport Seizure and Washington D.C. Home Raids
Federal agents moved in on Saturday night as Swalwell landed at San Francisco International Airport, seizing his electronic devices, which included at least one cell phone. The operation continued the following day with a search of Swalwell’s residence in the nation’s capital, according to sources familiar with the matter.
While agents secured his phones and executed the warrants, Swalwell was not arrested or detained during the airport operation. The inquiry stems from a criminal probe into allegations of sexual misconduct that first surfaced publicly while he still held federal office.
Resignation, House Ethics Probe, and Previous Allegations
The federal search warrants arrive months after Swalwell resigned from his seat in Congress and abandoned his campaign for California governor in April. Before his resignation, Swalwell represented Bay-Area districts starting in 2013, built a profile as a left-wing television news presence, and mounted a gubernatorial run.
His political career unraveled after multiple women came forward with accusations of sexual assault, unsolicited explicit messages, and nude photos. Those complaints triggered a bipartisan House Ethics Committee inquiry. However, that institutional probe collapsed when Swalwell stepped down, because the committee’s jurisdiction extends exclusively to active members and congressional staff.
Responding to the initial wave of allegations, Swalwell acknowledged making mistakes in judgment,
while simultaneously labeling the rape accusations as false
and vowing to fight them.
Declassified Intelligence Files and Federal Pressure
Parallel to the sexual misconduct inquiry, the White House released declassified documents detailing an older federal investigation into Swalwell’s 2015 relationship with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. The 97-page file covers intelligence assessments from more than a decade ago, though much of the material was already public knowledge and Swalwell faced no criminal charges in connection with Fang.
Sources indicated that FBI Director Kash Patel had been pressing to make the historical files public, a development initially broken by media reports.
