The FBI on Tuesday raided a Beverly Hills home amid its investigation into former California Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The Trump administration has been investigating Swalwell since early this year over a civil rights inquiry concerning accusations of rape and sexual misconduct, which led him to resign from Congress in April and drop his gubernatorial bid in California. The FBI has also been investigating Swalwell over his connections to China, amid accusations he had a relationship with a possible spy from Beijing.
After raiding Swalwell’s D.C. home and seizing his electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport in August, FBI agents this week executed a search warrant at a Beverly Hills mansion in connection with its investigation into the former congressman, according to multiple outlets.
The FBI told the Washington Examiner that on early Tuesday morning, the agency conducted an operation in the Los Angeles region related to an ongoing criminal investigation. A source told the Washington Examiner that the Beverly Hills home belongs to one of Swalwell’s donors and is part of the broader investigation into the California politician, which appears to be related to sexual misconduct.
“We are executing a search warrant,” FBI spokesperson Lourdes Arocho told the Los Angeles Times. “Court documents are sealed. No arrests are planned.”
Much of the FBI’s scrutiny of Swalwell concerns his relationship with Christine “Fang” Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.
U.S. officials have accused China of seeking to infiltrate the United States’ political system through Fang and other operatives, who built relationships with Swalwell and other up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country.
The FBI interviewed Swalwell in 2015 and 2016 about his relationship with Fang. Earlier this week, the White House declassified documents indicating Swalwell told FBI agents he had “physical relations” with Fang several times, most recently in March 2015.
ERIC SWALWELL ADMITTED TO RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINESE SPY ‘FANG FANG,’ FBI FILES SHOW
Swalwell’s lawyer criticized the release of the records, saying the investigation is being revived for political purposes.
“What is new and deeply concerning is the apparent use of federal law enforcement information to punish an outspoken critic of the current administration,” attorney Sara Azari said. “An investigation that produced no charges and no finding of wrongdoing should not be resurrected years later as a vehicle for political retaliation.”
Kaelan Deese contributed to this reporting.