Swalwell accuses Trump of trying to influence California governor's race with old FBI files

Key Points:

• Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, accused President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel of attempting to influence the election by releasing redacted files from a decade-old FBI investigation into Swalwell’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang.
• The investigation, which did not result in any charges against Swalwell, focused on his past association with Fang, who volunteered for his congressional campaigns; Swalwell cut ties with her in 2015 after being briefed on Chinese intelligence concerns.
• Swalwell and other Democrats, including Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, condemned the reopening of the case as a politically motivated attack and misuse of FBI resources, with Schiff calling it an unlawful weaponization of the Department of Justice.
• The House Ethics Committee closed its two-year investigation into Swalwell’s ties to Fang in 2023 without finding wrongdoing, and Swalwell has emphasized his cooperation with the FBI and refusal to be silenced by what he calls false smears.
• Swalwell secured the endorsement of the California Teachers Association amid the controversy and is actively fundraising to counter what his campaign describes as a politically motivated “revenge tour” by Trump and his allies.