Former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy successfully blocked Rep. Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee in 2023 over concerns about Swalwell's relationship with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative known as "Fang Fang." Now, newly declassified FBI records released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force are providing new details that appear to support McCarthy's earlier warnings. The documents show the FBI investigated whether Swalwell engaged in a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving congressional access and political donations linked to Fang.
The controversy dates back years. In December 2020, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly defended Swalwell, saying she had "no concern" about his relationship with Fang when asked whether security should be tied to positions of influence on Capitol Hill. McCarthy and Pelosi both received a classified FBI briefing that month, after which McCarthy said Swalwell "should not be on Intel." Despite those concerns, Democrats reappointed Swalwell to the Intelligence Committee in March 2021.
FBI agents seized Swalwell's electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday night as part of an investigation into sexual misconduct. Agents subsequently searched his Washington, D.C., residence the following day.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans say the new documents validate years of warnings they raised about Swalwell's judgment. McCarthy told Fox News Digital earlier this year that his concerns were rooted in classified briefings. "The knowledge that I have of what transpired and the actions that he has done and the behavior, especially when he's gone to other countries, I would be very leery of him in any position that can have sensitive information," McCarthy said.
The declassified records show the FBI viewed Fang as a significant counterintelligence concern, suspecting ties to China's Ministry of State Security. At one point, agents attempted to recruit her as an FBI confidential source before she allegedly refused and went underground.
Investigators examined whether Fang funneled interns to Swalwell's office in exchange for political donations and whether she sought access to the congressman in exchange for contributions. The documents show Swalwell admitted to having a romantic relationship with Fang, including multiple sexual encounters.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats who once forcefully defended Swalwell have largely declined to comment publicly since the FBI records were released. When McCarthy first moved to remove Swalwell in 2023, then-Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee at the time, called McCarthy's criticism a "patently unfair smear." Schiff said Swalwell had "served honorably" on the panel and had "never been accused of any kind of wrongdoing."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., dismissed the concerns as "absurd" during House floor remarks at the time. "I think Mr. McCarthy ought to be ashamed because he is an experienced campaigner — he knows this — for raising these spurious allegations," Nadler said.
Then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called McCarthy's effort a "frivolous, political exercise" intended to "attack the reputation of an outstanding Member of Congress."
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee closed its investigation into Swalwell's interactions with Fang in May 2023 without taking further action. Separately, investigators did not find evidence that Swalwell participated in a quid-pro-quo scheme or committed federal corruption violations, and he was removed as a subject of the FBI investigation in 2017.
What the Numbers Show
The FBI investigation into Swalwell was closed in 2017 — he was removed as a subject of that inquiry at that time. No criminal charges were filed against him related to his interactions with Fang. The House Ethics Committee's separate probe concluded without recommending disciplinary action in May 2023. Critics note these closures do not constitute exoneration and say the underlying concerns about judgment and foreign influence remain relevant.
The Bottom Line
The newly released records provide the first public confirmation of details that McCarthy cited when blocking Swalwell from the Intelligence Committee three years ago. Democrats who strongly defended Swalwell at the time have offered little public response to the document release. Republicans argue the files vindicate their earlier warnings about foreign influence risks on Capitol Hill. Watch for any formal Ethics Committee response to the newly declassified material and whether Republican leaders pursue additional oversight of the matter.