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The House Ethics Committee closed its investigation into allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) had ties to a Chinese intelligence agent.
In a letter sent to Swalwell on Monday that the congressman posted on his website the next day, the committee wrote that it will take no further action in the investigation into the “allegations raised in the complaint that you may have violated House rules, laws or other standards of conduct in relation to your interactions with Ms. Christine Fang.” According to the letter, the investigation began in April 2021.
“The Committee has previously reviewed allegations of undue influence by foreign agents and, in doing so, cautioned that members should be aware of the possibility that foreign governments may seek to obtain undue influence through gifts and other interactions,” the committee wrote to Swalwell, a former presidential aspirant who has served in the House since 2013. “We encourage you to contact the Office of Home Security for information on steps you can take to prevent or address such attempts.”
In December 2020, Axios reported that Fang, a suspected Chinese spy, had been trying to get close to California politicians the Chinese government believed was coming. One such politician was Swalwell, who was photographed with the woman and other California politicians and former members of Congress at various political functions. Axios also reported that Fang had attended fundraising events for Swalwell’s 2014 congressional campaign and that he suggested her office hire an intern, which it did.
According to Axios, US officials do not believe Fang obtained classified information while reaching out to politicians, including Swalwell, and has not been charged with any wrongdoing. After U.S. intelligence officials briefed him in 2015 about their concerns about Fang, he cut ties with her. Swalwell said in a statement to Axios at the time that he provided information to the FBI about her and that he has not interacted with her in six years. Fang has since left the country.
Although Swalwell has maintained he has not been charged with a crime, Republicans have leveled the charge against him, most recently in January when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) cited the alleged link with Fang when he blocked Swalwell from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. .
On Tuesday, Swalwell again emphasized his work with the FBI on that investigation and that he did not give any classified information to Fang.
“Nearly 10 years ago I assisted the FBI in its counterintelligence investigation of a campaign volunteer,” Swalwell said. “The case and my assistance were reported to the Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and two years later, the Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, reappointed me to the House Intelligence Committee. House. No Speaker questioned my actions or politicized my cooperation.”
Swalwell, who served as impeachment manager in the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, noted that even though the FBI repeatedly cleared him of any wrongdoing, an unnamed House Republican still filed a complaint against he, a move he described as an attempt to declare “false”. spots” to silence it.
“It’s time to move on,” he said. “The bipartisan House Ethics Committee had this case for over two years. They had subpoena power. They got answers from me in response to requests for information. Today, they are closing this matter and not they have found no crime.”
