FBI director pushes to release investigative files on Rep. Eric Swalwell: Reports
by Sophie Brams - 03/28/26 10:11 PM ET
FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing for the release of files related to an investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-Calif.) interactions with a suspected Chinese spy, according to reports from the New York Times and the Washington Post.
FBI agents and other personnel in California have been directed to gather and redact sensitive information from documents in preparation for sharing with senior Trump administration officials, according to the New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The files stem from a decade-old counterintelligence probe into a Chinese woman, known both as Christine Fang and Fang Fang, who reportedly helped Swalwell with fundraising and placing an intern in his office during the 2014 campaign cycle.
Swalwell was not accused of criminal wrongdoing and severed ties with Fang in 2015 after being briefed by U.S. intelligence officials on their suspicions of her. A two-year House Ethics probe into the matter concluded in 2023 without taking any further action.
The public release of files in an investigation that did not result in criminal charges would mark a highly unusual step, the Post noted. FBI leaders have also discussed sending agents to China to talk to Fang because they believe she could have damaging information on the California lawmaker, the newspaper reported, citing two people familiar with the investigation.
Swalwell has for years accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the issue against him in retaliation for his criticisms of the president. On Saturday, he suggested the FBI’s alleged actions were tied to his rising standing in the California governor’s race.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5806190-fbi-director-pushes-to-release-investigative-files-on-rep-eric-swalwell-reports/
