Federal agents stopped former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend and seized his electronic devices, a dramatic escalation in a criminal investigation tied to multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
The FBI presented Swalwell with a search warrant at SFO on Saturday evening, confiscating his white Apple iPhone, MacBook Pro, charging cable, and wall adapter, the New York Post reported. The warrant was served at 8:25 p.m. Agents followed up the next day by visiting Swalwell's Washington, D.C., home to execute additional search warrants and seize more materials.
Two sources confirmed the airport stop and electronics seizure to the Daily Caller, which first reported the confrontation. Swalwell is under federal criminal investigation for alleged sexual misconduct. The FBI declined to comment.
The former California congressman resigned from office in April after mounting allegations from multiple women. He had been running for governor, and was considered a potential frontrunner in the Democratic primary, before suspending his campaign and citing "mistakes in judgment."
The investigation centers on allegations that have grown steadily more serious since they first surfaced. Fox News reported that at least five women, including one former staffer, have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct or rape.
The former staffer's account is the most detailed allegation to emerge publicly. She told CNN that after a spring 2024 night out in New York, she woke up to Swalwell having sex with her in his hotel bed. She said he refused to stop when she told him no.
Beyond the former staffer's claims, the Washington Examiner reported that Swalwell faces additional accusations, including allegations that he drugged a woman before assaulting her and sent unsolicited explicit images to two other women. At least four women have gone public with their accounts.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has opened its own investigation into Swalwell, and the LA County Sheriff's Department has also been involved in the broader scrutiny, according to the New York Post.
Swalwell posted a statement on social media when he resigned from Congress on April 13, 2026. Fox News reported a fuller version of his remarks:
"I will fight the serious false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make."
He did not specify which allegations he considered false or what mistakes he was acknowledging. Sources on the ground told the Daily Mail that Swalwell was cooperative with investigators during the airport encounter.
The FBI's weekend move came just days after the White House Transparency Task Force declassified documents showing Swalwell had "physical relations" with Christine Fang, known as "Fang Fang," at least twice. Fang has been described as a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who cultivated relationships with U.S. politicians.
Swalwell reportedly told the FBI he "occasionally hooked up" with Fang, according to the declassified records. The documents were released on Monday, just two days before the Daily Caller broke the news of the airport seizure.
The Fang Fang connection is not new. Declassified FBI files previously showed that bureau officials had flagged Swalwell's ties to Fang years ago, raising questions about why Democratic leadership kept him on the House Intelligence Committee, one of the most sensitive posts in Congress, even after the warning.
The timing of the declassification and the FBI's airport confrontation has drawn attention. Both actions landed within the same week, compounding the legal and political pressure on the former congressman. The declassified materials added a national security dimension to a case that had already involved criminal misconduct allegations from multiple women.
The speed of Swalwell's fall is worth tracing. Before the sexual misconduct allegations became public, he was mounting a serious bid for the California governor's mansion. He held a congressional seat, had national name recognition, and was positioning himself as a leading Democrat in the state.
Then the former staffer's account surfaced. The Manhattan DA opened an investigation. Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign. He resigned from Congress. And now the FBI has seized his personal electronics and searched his home under federal warrant.
No charges have been filed. Swalwell has denied the most serious allegations. But the progression from congressional office to airport confrontation, with federal agents taking his phone and laptop, represents a level of investigative escalation that goes well beyond political embarrassment.
Several significant questions remain unanswered. The specific charges or statutory basis for the federal criminal investigation have not been disclosed. Just the News noted that the FBI declined to comment on the case entirely. Neither the Department of Justice nor Swalwell's legal team has issued a public statement about the weekend seizure.
It also remains unclear whether the federal probe and the Manhattan DA's investigation are coordinated or running on separate tracks. The involvement of the LA County Sheriff's Department adds a third jurisdiction to the mix.
The case fits a broader pattern of Democratic officials facing serious criminal scrutiny. Hawaii's lieutenant governor recently faced a felony indictment in an unrelated bribery case, and newly declassified FBI files have continued to reveal the extent of Swalwell's entanglements with a suspected foreign intelligence operative.
Swalwell said he would fight the allegations against him. The FBI, it appears, is making sure it has the evidence to test that claim.
