Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a leading candidate in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel threatening legal action if the bureau releases decade-old investigative files on his past relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine “Fang Fang” Fang.
Swalwell’s lawyers called the move a “transparent attempt to smear” him and violate federal privacy law and DOJ election-timing policy. The FBI defended its transparency. Swalwell, who cut ties with Fang in 2015 after an FBI briefing and faced no charges or ethics violations, appeared on CNN decrying the timing, 34 days before early voting. Rep. Jamie Raskin labeled it “weaponization” of the FBI.
Freaking out, Swalwell’s attorneys Sean Hecker and Norm Eisen sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel. “[Y]our attempt to release the file is a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California,” they wrote.
The lawyers additionally claimed, “Your actions threaten to expose you, others at the FBI, and the FBI itself to significant legal liability. Indeed, disclosure of the investigative file would violate federal law in several respects.”
The same document read, “The Congressman has never been accused of wrongdoing in that matter and your attempt to release the file is a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California.”
“The release of the investigative files would violate longstanding U.S. Department of Justice rules, including those barring federal agents from using their authority to attempt to influence an election,” the cease and desist claimed.
An FBI spokesperson noted, “This FBI, being the most transparent in history, prepares documents for numerous different reasons, including for release to different agencies and departments to further review investigations that may have been opened under previous administrations.”
"*" indicates required fields
Losing his cool, Rep. Eric Swalwell took to CNN. “It’s not lost on me that we’re 34 days until Californians start voting… We’ve consistently been in the lead in this governor’s race. And the president wants a Western White House,” the Democrat alleged.
Adding his own take on the situation, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asserted, “The FBI is attempting to smear a sitting U.S. Congressman, candidate for governor, and vocal opponent of the president. What the hell does that have to do with law enforcement? This is plain weaponization of the FBI for partisan political purposes.”
The Democrat whined, “At the behest of the White House, Patel is wasting the resources of the FBI and perhaps violating the Hatch Act by ordering agents to spend hours preparing a political smear file for a personnel vendetta. Rank-and-file agents have objected to this gross abuse of the FBI.”
“The abuse of government information is out of control. Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets, Raskin whined.
Concluding his comments, he stated, “Whether it is manipulating a decade-old FBI file or years-old mortgage applications, Trump has shown he will abuse any government database he can get his hands on to fabricate charges against public servants or just smear his political foes in the media.
Watch Swalwell get roasted during a disaster of a town hall appearance: