FBI agents confronted former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend and seized his electronic devices as part of a federal criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, according to a new report.
Swalwell, a California Democrat who previously served in Congress, was met by federal agents after landing in San Francisco on Saturday, the Daily Mail reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation.
Agents were reportedly armed with a court-approved search warrant and seized several electronic devices belonging to Swalwell, including his cellphone.
According to the outlet, Swalwell cooperated with investigators during the encounter.
The federal investigation reportedly expanded the following day when agents executed additional search warrants at Swalwell’s Washington, DC, residence.
Neither Swalwell nor his wife, Brittany Watts, was home when agents arrived Sunday, according to the report.
Authorities reportedly seized additional potential evidence from the property, although the nature of those materials has not been disclosed.
The searches are connected to a Justice Department investigation launched in April involving multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Swalwell, the Daily Mail reported.
At least four women have publicly accused the former congressman of misconduct.
One former staffer alleged that Swalwell raped her on two occasions when she was too intoxicated to consent, including an alleged encounter in New York City in April 2024.
She claimed she awoke in a hotel room to Swalwell having sex with her and attempted to push him away.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” she previously told CNN, according to the Daily Mail. “He didn’t stop.”
Another woman has alleged that Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018.
Two accusers have additionally alleged that he sent them unsolicited sexually explicit photographs.
Swalwell has vehemently denied allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
The accusations are allegations and have not resulted in a criminal conviction.
According to the report, the controversy previously derailed Swalwell’s campaign for governor of California and ultimately prompted him to resign from Congress.
The former lawmaker acknowledged making unspecified “mistakes in judgment” and apologized to his wife while continuing to deny the sexual misconduct allegations.
The latest FBI action comes just days after separately declassified records renewed scrutiny of Swalwell’s past relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, per the Daily Mail.
Those records reportedly showed that Swalwell acknowledged to FBI investigators that he had a sexual relationship with Fang.
Fang spent years cultivating relationships with California politicians and helped raise money for Swalwell’s congressional campaign while also recommending an intern who later worked in his office.
Swalwell has not been accused by law enforcement of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Fang, and previously released records indicate that he cooperated with federal investigators in that matter.
The current investigation is separate and centers on the sexual misconduct allegations.
According to the Daily Mail, Swalwell has also faced investigations by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department related to misconduct claims.
No federal criminal charges against Swalwell have been announced.
The reported seizure of his cellphone and searches of his residences nevertheless mark a significant escalation in the federal investigation, with agents now examining electronic and other evidence as they evaluate the allegations against the former congressman.
