Rep. Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Denies Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior with Staff Members
A spokesman for Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, has strongly denied online claims that the congressman had inappropriate relationships with young congressional staff members. The allegations, which have been circulating online for weeks, suggest that Swalwell acted inappropriately with young women and even made them sign nondisclosure agreements.
According to Micah Beasley, a spokesman for Swalwell’s campaign, “This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race.” Beasley emphasized that in 13 years, no one in Swalwell’s Congressional office has ever been asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and not a single ethics complaint has been lodged by any staff member.
Background and Context
Swalwell, 45, entered the campaign to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom in November and has been performing well in recent opinion polls. He has the support of 13.7% of voters, according to an average of recent polling compiled by Real Clear Politics, behind only Republican Steve Hilton. This is not the first controversy Swalwell has faced in recent days, as he previously accused President Trump of trying to sway the governor’s race based on reports that the FBI could release documents related to a decade-old investigation about his association with an alleged Chinese spy.
The investigation centered on Swalwell’s ties to a suspected intelligence operative, Christine Fang, or Fang Fang, who worked as a volunteer raising money for his congressional campaign. Although Swalwell was never accused of wrongdoing, he cut off ties to Fang in 2015 after intelligence officials briefed him and other members of Congress about Chinese efforts to infiltrate the legislative body. In an interview with The Times in November, Swalwell said he was cleared by the FBI and a GOP-led House Ethics Committee of any impropriety in his ties to Fang.
Expert Insights and Reactions
FBI Director Kash Patel directed agents in the bureau’s San Francisco office to redact the case files for public release, a highly unusual move to release case files tied to an investigation that did not result in criminal charges. Swalwell’s attorneys filed a cease and desist letter with Patel and the FBI, and no documents have been released as of Tuesday afternoon. Times staff writer Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report, providing expert insights and analysis on the situation.
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