Declassified FBI docs detail Swalwell's intimate relationship with suspected Chinese operative

Newly declassified FBI records released this week detail what former Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell told federal agents about his intimate relationship with Christine Fang, a woman suspected of working for Chinese intelligence. In interviews conducted in 2015 and 2016, Swalwell acknowledged to FBI investigators that he had engaged in physical relations with Fang on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2015, with their last encounter occurring in March 2015—two years after he entered Congress.

The documents, declassified by the Trump administration and released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, emerged from a broader FBI investigation into Fang's activities. That inquiry examined her role in funneling campaign contributions to Swalwell's political operation, her practice of referring interns to his congressional office, and her suspected ties to Chinese intelligence. During his first interview at an FBI field office in Oakland in May 2015, Swalwell characterized his physical relationship with Fang as casual, occurring on what he described as a handful of occasions. He told agents he did not consider them to have dated or maintained a romantic relationship, though he believed Fang may have wanted something more serious.

The second interview, conducted at the same location in March 2016, provided additional detail. Swalwell recounted an incident in which Fang arrived at his apartment and, after he had taken Ambien, the two engaged in sexual activity. According to the FBI summary, Swalwell had minimal memory of the encounter. The documents indicate these physical encounters likely occurred before Swalwell was elected to Congress in 2012, though the timeline shows at least some continued into his early years as a representative.

Beyond the personal relationship, the FBI investigation uncovered financial patterns suggesting Fang used intermediaries to conceal her identity and channel contributions to Swalwell's campaign in 2013 and 2014. She also systematically referred prospective interns to his office, often presenting them as coming through the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, an organization with which she maintained connections. The records show the FBI examined whether these activities constituted a quid-pro-quo arrangement—campaign money in exchange for access and internship placements. Ultimately, however, the bureau concluded it found no evidence that Swalwell violated federal corruption statutes or participated in such a scheme.

The FBI's suspicions about Fang herself ran deeper. Agents suspected she maintained ties to China's Ministry of State Security, particularly given that her parents were reportedly considered known Chinese intelligence officers. The bureau had even attempted to recruit her as a confidential source under the codename "Rusty Thumbs." The declassified files also show that Fang repeatedly encouraged Swalwell to visit China, mentioning the idea to him directly and extending invitations to members of his circle at a November 2014 election-night gathering.

Swalwell was removed as a subject of the investigation in 2017, after the FBI gave him a defensive briefing in April 2015 about foreign-intelligence targeting and specifically warned him about Fang and her connections. By the time of his second interview in 2016, he told agents he had severed contact with her. The FBI did determine that Fang herself violated federal election laws through her use of conduit contributions and foreign-national involvement in campaign finance, though the records do not indicate what enforcement action, if any, followed.

For years, Swalwell had declined to discuss the nature of his interactions with Fang, characterizing public allegations about the relationship as partisan attacks. The declassified documents now provide the most detailed accounting to date of what he told federal investigators about the scope and character of their involvement. Swalwell's office did not respond to requests for comment on the release of these records.