Newly released FBI records are shedding additional light on the bureau’s investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, including allegations involving campaign contributions and interns placed in his congressional office.
The documents, declassified by President Donald Trump and released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, detail the FBI’s investigation of Fang, also known as Fang Fang, and her efforts to develop relationships with US political figures.
According to the records, investigators believed Fang had connections to China’s Ministry of State Security, the country’s primary civilian intelligence agency. The documents also identified her parents as MSS agents.
The FBI initially considered recruiting Fang as a confidential human source and assigned her the code name “Rusty Thumbs,” according to the files.
Investigators, however, subsequently uncovered information that prompted a formal investigation into potential criminal activity.
The records indicate agents suspected Fang of helping raise money for Democratic politicians in California while using her political relationships to expand her influence. Investigators also believed she was willing to use sexual relationships as part of those efforts.
The investigation eventually reached Swalwell, with FBI officials initially considering a potential bribery case involving the California Democrat, according to the newly released records.
Investigators examined allegations that Fang directed campaign contributions toward Swalwell while also recommending interns who later obtained positions in his congressional office.
The investigation was later narrowed to whether Fang had illegally funneled campaign contributions to Swalwell through US citizens acting as intermediaries.
According to the released files, Swalwell acknowledged during FBI interviews that he had a sexual relationship with Fang. He also acknowledged that members of his staff had accepted interns recommended by her.
Swalwell additionally told investigators that his campaign’s compliance procedures may not have been sufficient to identify the alleged straw donations, according to the records.
The source provided does not indicate that Swalwell was charged with a crime, and his office has maintained for years that he cooperated with federal investigators.
Fang ultimately left the U.S. after FBI agents began questioning people associated with her and searched her residence. Despite investigators’ suspicions surrounding the campaign contributions, the Justice Department did not prosecute her, according to the report.
Fang’s efforts to cultivate relationships with American politicians became public in 2020, when Axios reported extensively on her activities in California political circles.
At the time, Swalwell’s office emphasized that the congressman had provided information about Fang to federal authorities years earlier, according to Trending Politics.
“Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn’t seen in nearly six years — to the FBI,” his office said at the time.
The newly released documents reportedly confirm that Swalwell cooperated with investigators.
Swalwell nevertheless sought to prevent the FBI records from being publicly released earlier this year.
His attorneys, Norm Eisen and Sean Hecker, sent FBI Director Kash Patel a cease-and-desist letter in March warning that releasing the records could expose the bureau and officials involved to legal liability.
“The Congressman has never been accused of wrongdoing in that matter and your attempt to release the file is a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California,” the attorneys wrote.
