The White House on Monday (local time) declassified records related to a three-year investigation into then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, which reportedly found that suspected Chinese spy Fang Fang assisted in soliciting illegal campaign contributions. However, the investigation was closed for “national security reasons.”
Citing an FBI memo dated 10 June 2014, the New York Post reported that an undercover operation took place between May 2014 and May 2017 to target the then-California Democrat, after intelligence indicated that “internships in Congressman Eric Swalwell’s offices were promised in exchange for campaign contributions.”
What did the memo reveal?
The memo noted, “As part of the scheme to purchase internships, campaign contributions were conduited through third parties to mask the true identity of the donor and, in some cases, made by foreign nationals in violation of federal criminal law.”
Following the tip, the FBI interviewed , some unidentified campaign donors, and others in his orbit. While the FBI had hoped that the undercover investigation, codenamed “Freshman Fifteen,” would help gather sufficient evidence to indict and arrest both Swalwell and Fang for campaign finance law violations, it was unable to substantiate allegations of an improper exchange.
The investigation later produced further findings about Fang’s activities. According to a May 2017 memo, the bureau’s investigation revealed that Fang, also known as Christine Fang, had allegedly solicited illegal straw donations from foreign nationals, destroyed records, made false statements, smuggled cash, and operated as an unregistered foreign agent, reportedly on behalf of .
The memo noted, “Fang left the in [redacted] and has been barred from re-entry pursuant to Security and Advisory Opinions issued by the United States Department of State.” It added, “In consultation with San Francisco Division Executive Management and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, SAC San Francisco has determined that prosecution is non-viable due to national security reasons.”
Who is Fang Fang?
According to a December 2020 Axios report, Fang’s friends and acquaintances said she was in her late 20s or early 30s when she resided in the US and was enrolled as a student at Bay Area University. Citing US intelligence officials and a former elected official, the report added that Fang used political fundraising, broad networking, personal charm, and romantic or sexual relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors to gain access to influential political circles.
According to the now-declassified documents, both Swalwell and his associates interviewed by the FBI indicated that they viewed Fang as a potential spy for the Chinese because she reportedly never attended classes at California State University, East Bay, or completed coursework, despite being in the country on an F-1 student visa. Her parents were also “known intelligence officers” in Beijing’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Further, Fang maintained ties to other affiliates of that agency, which Swalwell jokingly referred to as the “Chinese CIA” in an interview.
The documents also included an account from an interviewee, who said, “She was very private and would frequently be gone without any explanation,” adding that, “However, she also did things that [redacted] considered to be very obvious and not very smart.”
Swalwell’s association with Fang
The investigation also examined Fang’s relationship with Swalwell. Swalwell, now 45, later told investigators that he had been intimate with Fang at least twice at his apartment. He recalled that on one occasion, he had allowed her inside after taking Ambien to help him sleep and said he could “barely” remember what happened afterward.
The then-lawmaker told investigators that he regarded Fang as his primary contact with the local chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) and believed that people she recommended for jobs were affiliated with the organisation.
The congressman also told FBI agents that a substantial share of his Bay Area constituents were Chinese Americans and said that “diversity is important” when explaining Fang’s visits to his office nearly every month.
However, during interviews in 2015 and 2016, Swalwell said he did not know about any scheme involving Fang to route campaign funds through an intermediary.
His association with Fang was first reported by Axios in December 2020, which resulted in then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) removing the Democrat from the House Intelligence Committee in January 2023, citing Fang’s relationship with the congressman as a national security concern.
The declassified documents became available after the former lawmaker threatened to sue the FBI earlier this year over plans to release the information. The records shed new light on the FBI’s investigation into Fang’s activities and her association with Swalwell, while also showing that the bureau ultimately did not pursue prosecution, citing national security concerns.
