Federal agents grabbed Eric Swalwell's cellphone right at the San Francisco airport gate on Saturday.
The former California congressman got ambushed by FBI officials the moment he touched down in his home state, as first reported by the Daily Mail. They handed him a court-approved search warrant and walked away with multiple electronic devices, including his personal phone. And Swalwell apparently just handed everything over without a fight.
But the feds were far from finished. The very next day, FBI investigators rolled up to Swalwell's Washington, D.C., home and executed another round of search warrants. Neither the 45-year-old former lawmaker nor his wife, Brittany Watts, were present when agents arrived at the Northeast D.C. property. Officials have not revealed exactly what was collected from the residence.
So what is all of this about? A massive federal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving at least four different women. The Justice Department launched the probe back in April.
One former staffer claims Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions, in 2019 and 2024, alleging she was far too intoxicated to give consent. A second woman says he drugged and assaulted her back in 2018. Two additional women have accused him of sending unsolicited explicit photos. On top of the federal case, both the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have reportedly opened their own investigations.
Swalwell has firmly denied every single allegation. But the damage to his political life has been total and complete. He was running for governor of California and looked like a serious contender before the accusations torpedoed his campaign. He dropped out of that race and then resigned from Congress entirely. He has been practically invisible in public life ever since.
Then Monday brought another bombshell. Newly declassified documents revealed that Swalwell told FBI investigators he had "occasionally hooked up" with Christine Fang, the suspected Chinese intelligence operative known as "Fang Fang." She spent years cultivating relationships with rising California politicians, reportedly bundled campaign donations for Swalwell's 2014 reelection, and even helped place an intern in his congressional office. Authorities have not accused Swalwell of any criminal wrongdoing related to Fang.
Meanwhile, questions are swirling about whether Swalwell's nine-year marriage is surviving the fallout. The Daily Mail published photos back in May showing Watts leaving their D.C. home without her wedding ring. A family friend told the outlet, "Eric has been accused of horrible things. How do you live with that?"
While denying the assault claims, Swalwell has admitted to what he called "mistakes in judgment" and publicly apologized to his wife. Lawmakers from both parties have called for further investigation into the allegations that effectively ended his political career.
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