Former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell’s legal troubles escalated when FBI agents confronted him at San Francisco International Airport and seized his electronic devices. Agents reportedly searched his Washington, D.C., home under a warrant the following day. The former congressman is under federal investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct, though authorities had not publicly announced any charges against him as of August 22nd.
The airport encounter reportedly occurred Saturday, August 15th, after Swalwell arrived in California. Agents searched his Washington residence on Sunday as part of the same investigation, according to reports citing people familiar with the matter. The federal action came roughly four months after Swalwell resigned from Congress and abandoned his campaign for governor of California.
Swalwell resigned in April after multiple women accused him of misconduct ranging from sexual assault to sending unsolicited explicit images. One former staffer alleged that she awoke in Swalwell’s hotel bed after a spring 2024 night out in New York and found him having sex with her. She accused Swalwell of refusing to stop after she said no, prompting the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to open an investigation.
The Daily Caller reported that two sources confirmed the FBI stopped Swalwell at the airport and seized his electronics. Those sources also said federal agents executed a search warrant at his Washington home. The FBI and Justice Department had not publicly disclosed what evidence agents were seeking or what devices and other materials were recovered from the residence.
Reports indicated that agents served Swalwell with a search warrant at the airport before taking his cellphone and other electronic devices. Authorities did not arrest Swalwell during the encounter. Details about where Swalwell was traveling from, how long agents questioned him, and whether he was accompanied at the time have not been released.
Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese summarized the developments in a post on X, writing that agents had seized Swalwell’s electronics at the airport and subsequently searched his home. She said Swalwell was “under criminal investigation for alleged sexual misconduct.” The investigation remained active when the seizure and search were disclosed Thursday.
As Reuters reported, four women accused Swalwell of misconduct before he resigned from Congress and ended his gubernatorial campaign. Local law-enforcement authorities in New York and Los Angeles have also announced investigations into alleged assaults. The Department of Homeland Security separately examined an allegation that Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny.
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Swalwell acknowledged unspecified “mistakes in judgment” when he suspended his campaign but denied the sexual-misconduct allegations. His resignation also ended the House Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction over him because the panel can investigate only current members of Congress. Swalwell had represented California in the House since 2013 and briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019.
The White House Transparency Task Force released documents that claimed Swalwell had “physical relations” with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, also known as “Fang Fang,” on at least two occasions. It is currently unknown if these records were connected to the FBI’s current search warrants or the alleged sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied the accusations against him, saying when he resigned, “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me.”