Former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) and his now infamous relationship with Chinese Communist Party spy, Fang Fang, is back in the news after nearly 150 pages of newly declassified FBI documents were released to the public, shedding light on how the spy used sexual seduction, illicit campaign donations, and the strategic placement of interns to shape American politics.
Swalwell, who stepped down from his role in Congress in April after sexual misconduct allegations involving a former staffer emerged, is the main focus of the files that were released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force on August 17, 2026. In the files, it’s revealed that Swalwell spoke with FBI agents and said that Fang showed up to his apartment unannounced before he was elected to Congress.
He then admitted the two of them “hooked up.” In a subsequent interview, he told the agents that the last time the two of them had sex together was March 2015. Swalwell then described the relationship as casual and non-romantic in nature. A senior administration official commented that Swalwell “made significant admissions in those interviews, including [that] he did have a sexual relationship with Fang.”
Publicly, Swalwell has kept his lips sealed about the nature of his relationship with Fang. The disgraced congressman then told them that Fang never asked him for classified information and he didn’t volunteer any either, before stating that he never traded favors for sex. “China’s infiltration into our system is persistent, and it looks for many different avenues, not just one,” the official said, according to a report from The Epoch Times.
The official then explained that the CCP utilizes a number of avenues to exert influence over the United States, going on to describe the newly released pages as “the most illuminating documents” from the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into the former congressman’s relationship with Fang. “This gives us a case study of just how China was trying to infiltrate the political system,” the official added.
Fang employed her influence to get several interns hired to work on Swalwell’s campaign and to take roles in his political office too. The files also revealed there was, at one time, an operation to recruit Fang, who was given the code name “Rusty Thumbs,” that started back in 2013. The documents also reveal that she had connections to the CCP’s Ministry of State Security, which is China’s version of the CIA.
The FBI attempted to lead her as a blind double agent, keeping the ploy secret from her in order to gain information about Chinese intelligence operations and tactics. The bureau met with Fang on several occasions. An undercover agent presented her with an employment contract for a fake company, which she signed in June 2013. She was then directed to complete various political tasks and provide them with “cultural expertise.”
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The agents were able to convince Fang to submit a resume for possible employment, which found that she previously worked as a flight attendant aboard Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s official aircraft. The FBI also learned that Fang was connected to the CCP’s intelligence service, where both her parents were senior officers. Fang allegedly told others that her contacts in China were like “royalty.”
“She was prepared to use sex as a way of gaining entry into the American political system, and that she was also interested in making donations as a way of gaining influence inside the circles,” the official went on to explain. The operation to recruit her was abandoned after it was discovered she was actively working to influence campaign donations and hirings, leading to a criminal investigation being opened.
Several confidential human sources told the FBI that Fang also offered to reimburse them for donations that were made to Swalwell’s campaign. Fang grew suspicious that U.S. intelligence agencies were keeping their eyes on her, so she left the country following a raid that was conducted on her apartment located in the Bay Area.
Fang had numerous connections within the Democratic Party that included a number of mayors and other politicians. Task force members are now working to identify potential ties she had with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The official then added that much of this information was kept out of the public due to “embarrassment” and “political affiliation.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video