Former California congressman Eric Swalwell admitted to FBI agents that he had sexual encounters with a woman later identified as a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, according to records made public Monday by the White House Transparency Task Force.
The documents, released as part of an ongoing declassification push, show Swalwell told the FBI in 2015 that he met Christine Fang in 2012 at an event honoring the Chinese American community. He acknowledged having “physical relations with Fang on a handful of occasions,” while insisting they never dated or had a romantic relationship.
The FBI opened an investigation into whether Fang made illegal campaign contributions in exchange for internships in Swalwell’s congressional offices between 2014 and 2017. That probe ultimately found no evidence of a “quid pro quo” arrangement, but it did determine that Fang violated other federal laws, including international bulk cash smuggling and operating as an unregistered foreign agent.
According to the newly released files, Fang has since left the United States and is barred from reentering. Federal prosecutors determined that bringing charges against her was “non-viable due to national security reasons,” a rare step that suggests the case involved sensitive intelligence sources or methods.
The release comes months after Swalwell, a prominent Democratic voice on national security issues, abruptly resigned from Congress in April amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. The San Francisco Chronicle reported accusations from a former aide who said Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions. CNN separately reported that three other women had made similar allegations.
Swalwell’s attorney, Sara Azari, dismissed the document dump as politically motivated. “What is new and deeply concerning is the apparent use of federal law enforcement information to punish an outspoken critic of the current administration,” Azari told The San Francisco Chronicle. “An investigation that produced no charges and no finding of wrongdoing should not be resurrected years later as a vehicle for political retaliation.”
The political retaliation angle is likely to resonate with Democrats who have accused the Trump administration of weaponizing intelligence and law enforcement against its opponents. The release also coincides with a broader crackdown on Chinese press access and heightened scrutiny of China-related influence operations.
The House Ethics Committee previously investigated Swalwell’s interactions with Fang and concluded its two-year review in 2023 without taking any punitive action. That outcome had effectively closed the matter until the new declassification effort brought the FBI records to light.
Swalwell, who served on the House Intelligence and Homeland Security committees, had long been a vocal critic of Chinese espionage and a champion of tough counterintelligence measures. The revelation, while not alleging any criminal conduct on his part, undercuts his credibility as a national security hawk and gives ammunition to political opponents who have long questioned his judgment.
The documents also add to a growing pattern of transparency-related releases from the White House task force, which has previously published internal records from the Fauci era and other politically sensitive files. Critics argue the releases are selectively chosen to embarrass administration adversaries, while supporters insist they expose government misconduct.
For Swalwell, the fallout is likely to complicate any future political comeback. He had been considering a run for California governor before the misconduct allegations surfaced, and his resignation from the House effectively ended his congressional career. Whether the new disclosures will lead to further legal or ethical review remains unclear, but the political damage is already being felt.
