Disgraced Ex-Rep. Swalwell Spends $50K on Defense Attorney Amid Investigations

Disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell has spent an additional $50,000 on his defense attorney, according to recent federal campaign filings. The payment to celebrity lawyer Sara Azari further depletes Swalwell's campaign funds, which now stand at just over $11,000.

These filings come as California ethics investigators continue to scrutinize more than $300,000 in payments made to Azari from Swalwell's now-defunct gubernatorial campaign. Azari is defending Swalwell against allegations of rape and sexual assault, claims Swalwell has denied.

During the second quarter of the year, Swalwell's federal campaign committee refunded nearly $190,000 to donors and spent an additional $106,427 on operating expenses. This leaves the committee with insufficient funds to cover recurring bills for much longer.

Swalwell's campaign also reported $17,893.35 in previously unrecorded or uncashed checks. The campaign acknowledged in a filing with the Federal Election Commission that the purpose and recipients of these checks could not be determined, as the former treasurer who managed these records died in 2023. The campaign stated these entries were made solely to reconcile and close old bank accounts.

The payments to Azari could attract further attention given the ongoing investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission into whether Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign improperly used donor money to pay Azari after the allegations surfaced. Swalwell has previously denied the allegations while admitting to "mistakes in judgment."

Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign on April 12 and resigned from Congress days later, following the publication of allegations from multiple women. His congressional committee continued to pay routine expenses, including telecommunications bills. One notable expense was a $165 charge for a Starlink subscription, which drew social media commentary.

Despite the depleted state of his federal campaign funds, Swalwell's dormant gubernatorial committee reportedly still held over $2.6 million as of late May.