Federal law enforcement authorities have seized electronic devices belonging to former Representative Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.
FBI agents confiscated an iPhone and a laptop from the California Democrat on Saturday at San Francisco International Airport before executing a search warrant at his residence the following day. Federal court records indicate that investigators are looking into potential criminal statutes, including whether the former lawmaker used his official position to deprive an individual of constitutional rights. Legal representatives for Swalwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the searches.
The law enforcement actions mark a significant escalation in a series of legal troubles that derailed the former congressman’s political career. Swalwell abruptly resigned from the House of Representatives and withdrew from the California gubernatorial race in April after several women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, including sending unsolicited explicit photos. A former staff member alleged that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice, including an incident at a New York hotel in 2024, prompting an independent probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Another accuser, Lonna Drewes, publicly alleged that he raped her in 2018, leading her attorney to state that “we are encouraged to learn about the escalation of the FBI’s investigation into the allegations against Eric Swalwell” and promising continued cooperation with authorities.
Swalwell has consistently denied the criminal claims, though he previously acknowledged “mistakes in judgment”. His legal counsel maintained that the former lawmaker “categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him”. Prior to his resignation, the seven-term representative served on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, where he established himself as a prominent national critic of Donald Trump and acted as a House manager during the former president’s second impeachment trial.
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