FBI agents confronted Representative Eric Swalwell at San Francisco Airport on Saturday, seizing his electronic devices as part of a federal criminal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The following day, agents executed additional search warrants at his Washington D.C. home, securing more potential evidence.
Swalwell, 45, is reportedly facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. At least four women have come forward with claims, including a former staffer who alleges the married politician raped her twice in 2019 and 2024 when she was too intoxicated to consent. Another woman has accused him of drugging and raping her in 2018, and two others reported receiving unsolicited explicit images from him.
The Department of Justice launched its investigation into Swalwell in April. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are also reportedly investigating.
Swalwell has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The accusations previously disrupted his gubernatorial campaign, leading him to withdraw from the race, and he subsequently resigned from Congress. He has acknowledged making "mistakes in judgment" and has apologized to his wife, Brittany Watts.
In parallel, newly declassified documents released by the White House Transparency Task Force revealed Swalwell's past interactions with Christine Fang, a Chinese national also known as 'Fang Fang.' Swalwell admitted to the FBI that he "occasionally hooked up" with Fang, who had reportedly worked to foster political connections and bundled donations for his 2014 re-election campaign, even placing an intern in his congressional office. Swalwell has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Fang Fang matter.
The Daily Mail reported that Swalwell was cooperative when agents confronted him at the airport. His wife, Brittany Watts, was not present at their D.C. residence when agents executed the search warrant there on Sunday. Photos from May showed Watts without her wedding ring outside their residence.