FBI seizes former Congressman Eric Swalwell's electronic devices at airport as investigators search home amid sexual misconduct allegations
The former congressman was reportedly raided by the FBI in California and in D.C. following months of a federal investigation into him.
FBI agents seized electronic devices and raided the home of former Congressman Eric Swalwell last weekend, according to sources close to the investigation.
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Sources told reporters that authorities took electronic devices off of the California politician in a San Francisco airport on Saturday and then raided his home in D.C.the next day as part of an ongoing sexual misconduct investigation into the politician.
Swalwell, 45, was serving as a member of Congress and was running for Governor of California when allegations of sexual misconduct in his office, including one staffer’s allegations of rape, emerged which resulted in him resigning from his congressional seat and dropping out of the gubernatorial race.
A federal investigation was launched into the politician in April over the sexual misconduct claims against him. He is also under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for accusations of rape and sexual assault.
The raids over the weekend are believed to be tied to the federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Four women have said they were contacted by the FBI in regards to the federal probe.
Read more: Eric Swalwell drops out of California governor's race over sexual assault allegations
One former staffer who accused Swalwell of rape gave a detailed account to the media of being heavily intoxicated and left bruised and bleeding by the event which she says occurred in 2024.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman said. “He didn’t stop.”
The staffer, who was not working for Swalwell when this 2024 event occurred, said it took place in a New York City hotel room, which led to the New York investigation. The woman, who is anonymous, has also accused Swalwell of a different non-consensual encounter in 2019 when she was working for his office.
Other women have accused the former Congressman of sending them unsolicited photos, and of making them feel uncomfortable in a range of events from sending social media messages to alleged attempts to lure them into hotel rooms.
Swalwell resigned before he could be subjected to a bipartisan vote to push him out of Congress. The House Ethics Committee investigation into Swalwell ended once he left Congress.
His attorney Sara Azari, who specialises in defending high profile people accused of sexual misconduct said of the initial accusations: "These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive - a calculated and transparent political hit job.”
Swalwell served as Representative for California’s 15th district which was then redistricted to become California’s 14th district from 2013 and 2026. This area encompasses the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Swalwell has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. A legal representative for Swalwell has been contacted for comment.
Prior to his sudden resignation from Congress, Swalwell was known as a vocal opponent of the Trump administration, and a potentially strong contender in the California governor’s race.