Fed Agents Seize Devices From Swalwell 08/21 06:14

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Rep. 
Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into 
allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from 
California, according to a person familiar with the matter.

   Swalwell's devices were seized at the San Francisco airport on Saturday and 
agents executed a search warrant at his home a day later, said the person, who 
was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on 
the condition of anonymity.

   A message seeking comment was left Thursday with an attorney for Swalwell, 
who has denied allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. The Daily Mail 
first reported the seizure of Swalwell's devices on Thursday.

   Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress in April following 
allegations that Swalwell had sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when 
she worked for him. The San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN, first 
reported the allegations. CNN also reported that three other women alleged 
various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including sending them 
unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

   The seven-term lawmaker had been seen as one of the leading candidates in 
California's gubernatorial race before dropping out after the allegations 
surfaced.

   The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed in April 
that it was investigating Swalwell after a former staffer told CNN and the 
Chronicle that Swalwell raped her at a hotel while he was in New York City for 
a charity gala in 2024. In a statement, Bragg's office encouraged "survivors 
and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims 
Division."

   A lawyer representing Lonna Drewes, a California woman who in April said she 
had been raped in 2018 by Swalwell, said his team was cooperating with all law 
enforcement agencies investigating the former congressman.

   "We are encouraged to learn about the escalation of the FBI's investigation 
into the allegations against Eric Swalwell," attorney Arick Fudali said in a 
statement.

   Drewes spoke of the assault at a news conference days after Swalwell dropped 
out of the California governor's race. She said it occurred at a hotel in 
Southern California. Swalwell denied that assault.

   Swalwell, an Iowa native, was elected in 2012 and represented a House 
district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 
but ended it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters.

   He was one of Republican President Donald Trump's top Democratic antagonists 
in Congress. He was a prominent member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence 
committees during Trump's first term and served as one of several Democratic 
prosecutors for Trump's second impeachment after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on 
the Capitol.

   Swalwell was removed from the Intelligence Committee by then-House Speaker 
Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2023 based on Swalwell's contact with a suspected 
Chinese spy, Christine Fang.

   Fang was reported to have come into contact with Swalwell's campaign as he 
was first running for Congress in 2012 and to have participated in fundraising 
for his 2014 campaign.

   Federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns and briefed 
Congress about Fang in 2015, at which point Swalwell says he cut off contact 
with her. He was not accused of wrongdoing and a House Ethics Committee 
investigation that was opened in 2021 closed two years later without any action.

   California lawmaker Aisha Wahab secured victory Thursday in a special 
election to serve the rest of Swalwell's House term, which ends in January. She 
will run again in the November election to represent the district for a full 
two-year term.