FBI agents confronted former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, seizing his phone and other devices under a search warrant before raiding his Washington, D.C., home the next day in an escalating sexual misconduct investigation.
FBI agents confronted former California Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday night, seizing his cell phone and other electronic devices under a court-approved search warrant as part of a federal criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.
The next day, agents with additional warrants searched Swalwell's home in Washington, D.C., taking undisclosed potential evidence. The former congressman was not arrested or detained, and sources said he cooperated with investigators throughout.
Swalwell landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday evening and was met by federal agents carrying a search warrant. They confiscated his cell phone and other associated electronics, according to sources familiar with the operation.
On Sunday, agents executed additional court-approved search warrants at Swalwell's residence in Washington, where he lives with his wife and three children. Investigators seized additional evidence, though authorities have not disclosed what was taken.
The searches mark a major escalation in a federal probe that has been building for months. Two women who have publicly accused Swalwell of misconduct told the FBI they have spoken with investigators, sources confirmed.
At least four women have made sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell. A former staffer claims the married politician raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent, once in 2019 and again in 2024. Another woman alleges he drugged and raped her in 2018. Two additional women say he sent them unsolicited explicit photos.
Swalwell has denied the allegations. His legal team had no comment on the weekend searches.
The federal investigation is not the only one. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have both opened criminal investigations into Swalwell in the wake of the reporting.
Swalwell, 45, was once considered a frontrunner in California's 2026 gubernatorial race and a rising national figure in the Democratic Party. He served in Congress from 2013 until April, when he resigned amid the mounting allegations and ended his gubernatorial campaign.
His political collapse was accelerated by declassified records released by President Donald Trump's administration. Files on Swalwell and Fang Fang, a Chinese national linked to Beijing's intelligence services, revealed that Swalwell admitted to the FBI that he had a sexual relationship with her, and that the bureau had at one point attempted to recruit her without her knowledge.
The declassified documents raised serious national security questions about a man who spent years positioning himself as a leading Democratic voice on China policy during his time on the House Intelligence Committee.
With his devices now in federal custody, investigators are expected to comb through Swalwell's phones and electronics for evidence tied to the allegations. Search warrants executed at an airport and a private residence signal the probe is moving into an active evidence-gathering phase.
Federal, state, and local agencies are now involved, and the growing number of accusers gives prosecutors multiple avenues of inquiry. Swalwell remains free and has not been charged with any crime.
The coming weeks will likely bring more detail on what investigators seized and whether the evidence supports charges. For a politician who once seemed destined for the governor's mansion, the weekend's events represent another dramatic turn in a swift and stunning fall.
FBI agents confronted former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, seizing his phone and other devices under a search warrant before raiding his Washington, D.C., home the next day in an escalating sexual misconduct investigation.
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