Federal agents seize devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell in sexual misconduct probe

Federal agents seized electronic devices belonging to former California congressman Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday and obtained a search warrant for his Washington, D.C., residence the following day, a source familiar with the investigation said. The source, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly, requested anonymity.

Swalwell, who resigned from the House in April after multiple accusations of sexual assault and misconduct, has denied the allegations. An attorney for Swalwell did not respond to a request for comment.

The investigation follows reports that at least four women have accused Swalwell of sexual wrongdoing, including two alleged assaults and unsolicited explicit communications. One accuser, Lonna Drewes, said she was raped by Swalwell in 2018 at a Southern California hotel. Her lawyer, Arick Fudali, said the former lawmaker’s team is cooperating with law-enforcement agencies.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed it is reviewing the allegations after a former staffer alleged a 2024 rape in New York City. The DA’s office urged survivors and anyone with information to contact its Special Victims Division.

Swalwell, a seven-term Democrat first elected in 2012, had been considered a leading candidate for California’s governor’s race before withdrawing amid the accusations. He previously served on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees and was a House manager during President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. In 2023, he was removed from the Intelligence Committee after contacts with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative were disclosed, though a House Ethics Committee investigation later closed without action.