Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in September.
Anna Moneymaker
Getty Images
Reports that FBI Director Kash Patel ordered agents to dig up old files on a closed investigation of Rep. Eric Swalwell as he seeks to become California’s next governor brought swift condemnations.
The Washington Post reported Saturday that Patel seeks to release files from a decade-old probe of Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese agent who reportedly developed ties to the congressman during his 2014 re-election campaign.
An FBI spokesperson called the contentions in the story “incorrect” and said the agency routinely reviews documents for release to other agencies and re-examines investigations launched by previous administrations, the publication said.
No criminal charges were brought in the original case, The New York Times reported.
Swalwell, a Democratic congressman and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, is now in a crowded race to become California’s next governor, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
“We now know the outrageous ends the White House will go to target political opponents,” Swalwell said in a statement. “But Donald Trump and Kash Patel do not get to pick the next governor.”
In a statement to KRON, Swalwell called the reopened investigation “nonsense.”
Fang helped raise funds for Swalwell’s 2014 re-election campaign, The Washington Post said.
Swalwell denied wrongdoing after Fang fled to China in 2015 amid reports that she was being investigated as a possible spy, and no evidence has been presented that he knew of anything amiss with her, The New York Times said.
The House Ethics Committee ended a two-year investigation of Swalwell and Fang in 2023 without taking any action, the publication said.
The FBI has discussed sending agents to China to interview Fang or arranging a visa for her to release information about Swalwell, The Washington Post reported.
Officials have directed agents to find and lightly redact files on the earlier investigation for review by top administration officials this week, The New York Times said.
A Public Policy Institute of California poll released last month showed Swalwell and Democratic millionaire Tom Steyer are in a dead heat with former Rep. Katie Porter as well as Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco ahead of the June 2 top-two primary, The Sacramento Bee said.
Eric Swalwell, candidate for governor, addresses the crowd on Feb. 21 at the California Democratic Party state convention in San Francisco. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Swalwell also has faced accusations from Steyer that he does not live in California and from the Trump Administration that he committed mortgage fraud, The Bee reported.
The Dublin congressman told KRON that the White House hopes to discredit him in the race as a frequent critic and to boost the chances of his Republican rivals.
“A lot of people have bent the knee to this administration. But I will not,” Swallwell said. “And neither will the people of California.”
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who has endorsed Swalwell in the gubernatorial race, also condemned the reported reopening of the investigation.
“At a time when the nation is at war and we face real threats to the homeland, this abuse of the FBI is as dangerous as it is unlawful,” Schiff said in a statement Saturday on X.
“Time and again, the President and his appointees have weaponized the Department of Justice against those who dare stand up to Trump,” Schiff said. “But Californians are tough and will not be intimidated. We make our own decisions, and will not be moved by the desperate actions of any king or wannabe despot.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, called the effort a “smear” in a statement Saturday as the ranking member of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
“What the hell does that have to do with law enforcement? This is plain weaponization of the FBI for partisan political purposes,” Raskin wrote.
Loading…
This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 11:05 AM.
Related Stories from Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.