Federal agents stopped former Congressman Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport this weekend, seizing his electronic devices as part of a widening investigation into allegations of s**ual misconduct.
Agents also searched his Washington, D.C., residence the following day and seized additional evidence, according to court records and multiple news reports (via BBC).
Swalwell faces mounting criminal investigations and allegations
According to court records, officers executed a search warrant at Swalwell’s home at 8:25 p.m. on Saturday, August 15. The warrant authorized the seizure of his iPhone, MacBook Pro, charging cable and wall adapter.
While the warrant itself did not identify where it was served, several outlets reported that Swalwell was served at San Francisco International Airport.
Swalwell, 45, now faces criminal investigation from three separate agencies after multiple women accused him of assault, r*** and harassment.
The court records show that the federal investigation includes 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal civil rights statute that makes it a crime for someone acting under color of law to willfully deprive another person of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department continue their progress on a case where Swalwell allegedly r**** a victim who was too intoxicated to respond and also on accusations about him sending unsolicited n*** photographs to women.
His attorney Sara Azari has previously dismissed the claims as “false, fabricated and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job.”
The House Committee on Ethics also launched an investigation into the allegations earlier this year but stopped after Swalwell resigned from Congress.
He was leading California’s governor race but abandoned the campaign and surrendered his House seat in April, shortly after the allegations surfaced and fellow Democrats pushed for his removal.
The Trump critic’s future collapsed within weeks of the reports emerging. Moreover, the White House released declassified documents from a different FBI investigation on Monday, August 17.
The files revealed new details about Swalwell’s alleged relationship with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese spy, over a decade ago.
Swalwell, nevertheless, did not face charges related to the investigation at the time.
Aisha Wahab makes history as Eric Swalwell’s successor
State Senator Aisha Wahab won the special election Thursday, August 20, to serve the remainder of Swalwell’s term. She is now the first Afghan American to serve in Congress (via AP News) and claimed victory against Bay Area Rapid Transit Director Melissa Hernandez.
Wahab will represent California’s 14th Congressional District, covering parts of Alameda County on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, through January.
“From foster care to Congress, this journey shows the possibility of the American Dream,” Wahab said in a statement after her win.
She first made history in 2018 as the first Afghan American elected to public office in the U.S. when she won a Hayward City Council seat.
Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in November’s general election to determine who serves the next full two-year term.
