Top Dems go silent after McCarthy vindicated for booting Swalwell off intel committee

Declassified Records Detail FBI Probe Into Rep. Swalwell’s Ties to Suspected Chinese Operative; Separate Inquiry Prompts Recent Device Seizures

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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed Rep. Eric Swalwell from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in early 2023, citing concerns over Swalwell’s past relationship with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative also known as “Fang Fang.” Senior Democrats at the time described the move as unwarranted. Newly declassified FBI records released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force provide additional details on the earlier investigation into Fang’s activities, while a separate federal probe into alleged sexual misconduct led to the seizure of Swalwell’s electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday and a subsequent search of his Washington, D.C., residence on Sunday.

The declassified documents describe two FBI interviews with Swalwell conducted during a broader counterintelligence inquiry into Fang. Agents examined possible links between Fang and illicit campaign contributions, the placement of interns in Swalwell’s office, and other contacts. The records indicate the FBI assessed Fang as a counterintelligence concern and suspected ties to China’s Ministry of State Security; at one point agents considered recruiting her as a confidential source. Swalwell acknowledged a romantic relationship with Fang during the interviews.

Investigators ultimately removed Swalwell as a subject of the Fang-related inquiry in 2017 after determining there was no evidence he participated in a quid-pro-quo arrangement or committed federal corruption violations. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee separately closed its review of Swalwell’s interactions with Fang in May 2023 without further action.

In January 2023, then-Rep. Adam Schiff stated that McCarthy’s decision misrepresented a classified briefing and called the criticism a “patently unfair smear.” Schiff noted that Swalwell had “served honorably” on the committee and had “never been accused of any kind of wrongdoing.” Rep. Jerry Nadler described McCarthy’s remarks on the House floor as “pernicious nonsense” and “spurious allegations.” Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in December 2020 that she had “no concern” about Swalwell’s continued service on the Intelligence Committee and expressed “full confidence” in his work. Then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called the effort to remove Swalwell a “frivolous, political exercise.” Then-Rep. Ruben Gallego stated on CNN that the FBI had “clearly stated that Swalwell … has been cleared.”

McCarthy and Pelosi received a classified FBI briefing on the matter in December 2020. McCarthy subsequently said Swalwell “should not be on Intel.” Pelosi maintained her position, and Swalwell was reappointed to the committee in March 2021 under Democratic leadership. McCarthy later told Fox News Digital that the information he reviewed left him concerned about Swalwell’s access to sensitive information.

The 2026 searches of Swalwell’s devices and residence were conducted as part of an unrelated investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. Those searches are distinct from the earlier Fang counterintelligence matter.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Democrats referenced in this article but did not receive responses by publication time.

The declassified records confirm that the FBI’s Fang investigation extended beyond Swalwell’s personal relationship to questions of campaign finance and access. No criminal charges resulted from that portion of the inquiry concerning Swalwell. The House Ethics Committee’s 2023 closure likewise produced no sanctions.