Declassified FBI records reveal that former Representative Eric Swalwell admitted to having physical relations with Christine Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, on several occasions. The documents, released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, include summaries of two FBI interviews conducted with Swalwell in 2015 and 2016 as part of a broader investigation into Fang's alleged involvement in illicit campaign contributions and other activities.
During the interviews, Swalwell described his relationship with Fang as casual and stated that their last physical encounter occurred in March 2015. He mentioned that Fang had visited his apartment and that he had little recollection of the event due to having taken a sleep medication. Swalwell clarified that he and Fang never dated or had a romantic relationship, although he believed she may have desired one.
The records also indicate that Fang Fang was involved in funneling campaign contributions to Swalwell's campaign and referred interns to his office. The FBI's investigation did not find evidence of Swalwell committing federal corruption violations, and he was removed as a subject of the investigation in 2017. However, the FBI noted that Fang Fang may have violated federal election laws regarding foreign contributions. Additionally, the documents reveal that the FBI had attempted to cultivate Fang as a confidential source due to her suspected ties to China's Ministry of State Security.