Declassified FBI records released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force reveal that former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told investigators he had "physical relations" with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine "Fang Fang" Fang on a "handful of occasions." The documents were declassified by President Donald Trump and detail two FBI interviews conducted in May 2015 and March 2016 as part of an investigation into Fang's alleged involvement with illicit campaign contributions and activities within Swalwell's political operation.
The records show that during the first interview at an Oakland FBI field office, Swalwell described multiple encounters with Fang Fang. In one instance documented in the 2016 interview summary, Fang arrived at Swalwell's apartment banging on his door, and the two subsequently "hooked up" after Swalwell had taken Ambien, a powerful sleep medication. According to the documents, "Swalwell barely remembers the event because he had taken Ambien prior to FANG arriving." The FBI indicated these encounters likely occurred before Swalwell was elected to Congress in 2013.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans and national security hawks have used the documents to raise questions about Swalwell's judgment during his time in Congress. The records reveal that Fang repeatedly encouraged Swalwell to visit China, extending invitations to people in his orbit at election events. Critics argue such contacts with a suspected foreign intelligence operative should have prompted more immediate disclosure and scrutiny.
Conservative commentators have questioned why the documents were not made public earlier and what role, if any, Chinese intelligence services may have played in attempting to cultivate an American congressman. Some Republican voices have called for additional investigations into how Fang was able to establish relationships with multiple U.S. political operatives and whether similar patterns exist among other elected officials.
What the Left Is Saying
Defenders of Swalwell point out that the FBI ultimately found no evidence the former congressman committed federal corruption violations or participated in a quid-pro-quo scheme. Swalwell was removed as a subject of the investigation in 2017, meaning investigators determined he was not acting knowingly on behalf of a foreign power. The bureau did indicate it found evidence that Fang herself violated federal election laws involving foreign-national and conduit contributions.
Democratic allies have noted that Swalwell cooperated fully with FBI investigators during both interviews, voluntarily speaking to agents about his contacts with Fang. They argue this demonstrates transparency rather than culpability. Some progressive commentators have characterized the document release as politically motivated, arguing it represents an effort to relitigate old allegations against a former congressman who already faced scrutiny and was cleared by federal investigators.
What the Numbers Show
According to the declassified FBI records: Swalwell served in Congress from 2013 until 2023, representing California's 15th Congressional District. He sat on the House Intelligence Committee during portions of his tenure. The FBI documents indicate Fang made at least two conduit contributions to Swalwell's campaign in 2013 and at least two more in 2014. Financial records showed Fang used conduits to conceal herself as a prohibited foreign-national source. The FBI attempted to cultivate Fang as a confidential source under the codename "RUSTY THUMBS." Agents suspected she had ties to China's Ministry of State Security, including reports that her parents were considered known Chinese intelligence officers.
The Bottom Line
The release of these documents adds new details to years-old questions about Swalwell's relationship with Fang, which had remained publicly murky since initial reports emerged in 2020. While the FBI cleared Swalwell of wrongdoing, the records provide a more complete picture of his interactions with someone federal investigators believed was connected to Chinese intelligence services. The timing of the declassification by the Trump administration raises questions about political motivations, but the underlying facts remain part of the official investigative record. What remains unclear is whether additional information exists that could further illuminate the scope of Fang's activities within U.S. political circles.