FBI seizes former Rep. Eric Swalwell's electronic devices amid probe

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The FBI on Thursday seized electric devices belonging to former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell in recent days as part of a federal criminal investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.

The seizures were reported by the Daily Mail, CBS News and CNN, each citing anonymous sources.

Swalwell, who resigned from Congress in April, was confronted by FBI agents with a search warrant after he arrived at San Francisco Airport on Saturday, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the report, FBI agents also executed search warrants at Swalwell's residence in Washington, DC, on Sunday. Swalwell represented districts in the Bay Area from 2013 until his resignation.

Unnamed sources told CBS and CNN that the searches were tied to the accusations against Swalwell. The allegations from multiple women included rape and unsolicited explicit messages and nude photograhs.

The bipartisan House Ethics Channel had launched a probe into the accusations, but it was closed when Swalwell resigned his seat. Swalwell also ended his California gubernatorial campaign.

Swalwell denied an accusation of assault as "fake," saying that he would fight it, but he acknowledged "mistakes in judgment."

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are also investigating the current allegations against Swalwell.

The White House on Monday released 97 pages of declassified documents on the FBI's probe of Swalwell's relationship with a suspected Chinese spy in 2015. No charges were filed against Swalwell, and many details released by the Trump administration were already known. Fang has left the U.S. and is barred from reentering, the documents reportedly show.

The House Ethics Committee investigated Swalwell's relationship with Christine Fang for two years before closing it in 2023 without further action.

FBI Director Kash Patel had pressed for the files related to the investigation into Swalwell to be released, CBS reported, citing sources.

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