FBI Seizes Former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s Electronic Devices Amid Probe

The FBI has seized electronic devices belonging to former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell in recent days as part of a federal criminal investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. The seizures were reported by the Daily Mail, CBS News, and CNN, each citing anonymous sources.

Source: cdnph.upi.com

Swalwell, who resigned from Congress in April, was confronted by FBI agents with a search warrant after he arrived at San Francisco Airport on Saturday, the Daily Mail reported. According to the report, FBI agents also executed search warrants at Swalwell’s residence in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

Unnamed sources told CBS and CNN that the searches were tied to the accusations against Swalwell. The allegations from multiple women included rape and unsolicited explicit messages and nude photographs. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee had launched a probe into the accusations, but it was closed when Swalwell resigned his seat.

Swalwell denied an accusation of assault as ‘fake,’ saying that he would fight it, but he acknowledged ‘mistakes in judgment.’ The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are also investigating the current allegations against Swalwell.

The White House on Monday released 97 pages of declassified documents on the FBI’s probe of Swalwell’s relationship with a suspected Chinese spy in 2015. No charges were filed against Swalwell, and many details released by the Trump administration were already known. Fang has left the U.S. and is barred from reentering, the documents reportedly show.

The House Ethics Committee investigated Swalwell’s relationship with Christine Fang for two years before closing it in 2023 without further action. FBI Director Kash Patel had pressed for the files related to the investigation into Swalwell to be released, CBS reported, citing sources.

The FBI’s probe into Swalwell’s relationship with a suspected Chinese spy has raised questions about the former congressman’s ties to China and his handling of sensitive information. The investigation has also sparked concerns about the security clearance process and the vetting of government officials.

The allegations against Swalwell have sparked a heated debate about the handling of sexual misconduct allegations in politics and the accountability of elected officials. The FBI’s investigation is ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether Swalwell will face any further consequences for his actions.