Thursday, August 20, 2026
FBI evidently confronted Eric "Boom Boom" Swalwell over the weekend and hoo boy
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Nancy "Hands-a-Flying" Pelosi kept Swalwell on Intel Committee after FBI warnings
There are bad ideas, there are terrible ideas, and then there is allowing a congressman who admitted having an intimate relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative to remain on the House Intelligence Committee.
Apparently, Washington Democrats were determined to explore that third category.
When allegations involving Rep. Eric Swalwell and Fang Fang, a woman suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence, surfaced in 2020, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the FBI’s findings. We now know the bureau had evidence that Fang may have compromised Swalwell through sex, foreign interns and allegedly illicit campaign donations.
And yet somehow the Democratic leadership concluded that the appropriate response was not, “Perhaps we should move this guy away from the classified information.”
Instead, Swalwell stayed.
Because apparently “House Intelligence Committee” was being interpreted as more of a suggestion than a job description.
The FBI briefings were serious enough to alarm then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who called for Swalwell to be removed from the committee. McCarthy was concerned that a congressman with access to highly sensitive intelligence might not be the ideal person to have around highly sensitive intelligence.
Crazy, right?
Sex, Interns and Campaign Cash
The newly released FBI files provide considerably more detail about the relationship between Swalwell and Fang.
According to the files, Swalwell admitted having sex with Fang, acknowledged that his staff had placed Fang’s interns in congressional offices, and admitted that his campaign finance operation was not sophisticated enough to detect the alleged straw donations she funneled through U.S. citizens.
So, to recap, the FBI was dealing with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who allegedly cultivated American politicians through networking, campaign donations, internships and romantic relationships.
And one of those politicians was sitting on the House Intelligence Committee.
This sounds less like counterintelligence and more like the plot of a spy movie written by people who thought the protagonist should be named “Congressman Completely Unconcerned.”
The FBI also knew Fang had ties to China’s Ministry of State Security, Beijing’s intelligence service. Investigators identified her parents as MSS agents.
Fang’s activities had previously been reported by Axios, which described her efforts to cultivate politicians in California through fundraising, networking, charm and romantic or sexual relationships.
Swalwell was reportedly one of her most significant targets.
Swalwell has consistently maintained that he did nothing wrong, fully cooperated with the FBI investigation, and stopped communicating with Fang after receiving a defensive briefing about her activities.
Swalwell’s Lawyer Says This Is All Political
After the files were released, Swalwell’s attorney, Sara Azari, argued that there was nothing new to see.
“There is nothing new here. The government’s own memorandum confirms what Congressman Swalwell has said for more than a decade: he did nothing wrong, and there was no basis to charge him with any offense,” said Sara Azari, legal counsel for Swalwell, on Monday after the files were released. “What is new and deeply concerning is the apparent use of federal law enforcement information to punish or embarrass an outspoken critic of the current administration. An investigation that produced no charges and no finding of wrongdoing should not be resurrected years later as a vehicle for political retaliation.”
That is certainly one way to describe the situation.
Another would be: “The FBI investigated a congressman who admitted sleeping with a woman the bureau believed was connected to Chinese intelligence, and now everyone is upset that people are talking about it.”
Both descriptions are technically available.
After the original allegations surfaced, McCarthy said they “disqualified” Swalwell from serving on the Intelligence Committee.
“Swalwell is a national security liability,” the Republican leader said.
McCarthy then requested a full FBI briefing. After receiving it, he became even more convinced Swalwell should be removed.
“One thing I know for sure — I had questions about whether he should. That’s the one question that was answered, he should not be on Intel,” McCarthy told reporters.
That seems fairly definitive.
Pelosi: Nothing to See Here
Pelosi later confirmed that Democratic leadership had first been briefed about Swalwell’s relationship with Fang in the spring of 2015, shortly after Democrats nominated him to the Intelligence Committee.
Pelosi said congressional Democrats cut off communication with Fang once they learned about the situation.
“When that was made known to the members of Congress, it was over. That was the end of any communication with those people,” Pelosi said.
The Speaker also said Republicans had been briefed at the same time.
“We knew when they knew,” explained Pelosi.
And then came the part that has aged particularly well.
Summing up her assessment of Swalwell, Pelosi told reporters that she did not “have any concerns about Mr. Swalwell.”
Naturally.
Nothing inspires confidence in congressional counterintelligence quite like a suspected Chinese spy sleeping with a member of the Intelligence Committee while party leadership says there are “no concerns.”
McCarthy tried to remove Swalwell from the committee in early 2021 after Pelosi reappointed him.
The House voted largely along party lines to reject the measure, with 200 members voting for removal and 218 voting against it.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff also defended Swalwell, calling him a “trusted member of our committee” who had “acted fully in accordance with his responsibilities” after the 2015 briefing.
Apparently those responsibilities included continuing to sit on the committee.
McCarthy: Democrats “Jeopardized” Congress
When Republicans regained control of the House in 2023, McCarthy blocked Swalwell from serving on the Intelligence Committee.
“If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have Swalwell on any committee,” McCarthy said.
“One thing I know for sure – I had questions about whether he should. That’s the one question that was answered, he should not be on Intel.”
McCarthy said Democratic leadership had “jeopardized” Congress by allowing Swalwell to remain on a committee handling sensitive intelligence for years.
“The only way that they even knew it came forward is when they went to nominate him to the Intel Committee. And then the FBI came and told the leadership then, he’s got a problem,” McCarthy explained. “And they kept him on. That jeopardized all of us.”
That is the sort of sentence that tends to make people wonder why national security was apparently being handled with the same urgency as deciding where to hold the congressional Christmas party.
Then Came the New Details
The newly released files reveal even more about what the FBI knew.
According to the documents, the FBI initially considered investigating Swalwell for a bribery scheme involving campaign donations and internships. Investigators ultimately narrowed the criminal case to Fang and allegations that she made illegal donations through U.S.-citizen conduits.
Swalwell admitted that he had sex with Fang, that his staff placed her interns in congressional offices, and that his campaign finance system was not strong enough to detect the alleged straw donations.
The Justice Department ultimately declined to prosecute Fang after she fled the country as investigators began interviewing associates and raiding her home.
The FBI had also been trying to recruit Fang as a confidential informant.
Her code name?
“Rusty Thumbs.”
Yes, “Rusty Thumbs.”
Apparently the FBI's counterintelligence operation had a naming committee that was having a particularly creative afternoon.
The bureau was considering hiring Fang through a cutout company and was still evaluating her suitability as a confidential human source when investigators discovered her alleged criminal activity.
The FBI also knew early in the recruitment process that Fang had suspected ties to the MSS. One memo identified her parents as “known MSS intelligence officers.”
Agents also suspected Fang herself had ties to Chinese intelligence and knew she was raising money for California Democrats and allegedly willing to use sex to advance her political influence.
The investigation was opened on March 17, 2014, under the remarkably appropriate codename “Freshman Fifteen.”
The probe examined allegations that Swalwell awarded congressional internships in exchange for campaign contributions, with Fang allegedly serving as the facilitator.
According to an FBI summary of Swalwell’s 2015 interview, Swalwell admitted that he had “physical relations with Fang” on multiple occasions.
During another interview in 2016, Swalwell described an incident in which Fang showed up at his home. Swalwell said they “hooked up,” according to the FBI summary.
And all of this was known before Democrats repeatedly decided that Swalwell belonged on the House Intelligence Committee.
At some point, the question stops being whether Eric Swalwell had a questionable relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.
The more interesting question is why the people who had been briefed about it decided that the appropriate response was to give him access to some of the most sensitive intelligence in the United States government.
Then again, Washington has always had an interesting definition of “intelligence.” Sometimes it apparently means classified information.
Sometimes it means figuring out that the guy sleeping with a suspected Chinese spy probably shouldn't be sitting on the Intelligence Committee.
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Eric Swalwell and the Chinese Honeypot That Keeps Giving
This is getting almost too good to be true.
We already knew former Rep. Eric "Boom-Boom" Swalwell (D-CA) had a rather unusual relationship with a Chinese intelligence-linked honeypot named Christine Fang, aka Fang Fang. Now, thanks to documents released by the FBI, we apparently get to see what was happening behind the curtain, and it should scare normal Americans.
And suddenly, the California political scene looks even more entertaining.
According to newly released FBI memos, investigators believed 'the Fangster' may have compromised a Democratic congressman through sex, foreign interns and potentially illegal campaign donations. The FBI was even trying to recruit her as an informant because of her connections to Chinese intelligence.
The whole thing sounds less like congressional politics and more like the rejected plot of a low-budget spy movie.
Swalwell admitted to having a physical relationship with Fang., who he says he met in 2012, and diddled up until 2015.
The FBI eventually dropped Swalwell from the investigation and focused exclusively on Fang's alleged activities. So, at least according to the bureau, the congressman somehow managed to survive an investigation involving a Chinese intelligence-linked woman, while the woman herself remained the person of interest.
The FBI documents, obtained after President Donald Trump declassified them, describe a probe into Swalwell and Fang that was opened on March 17, 2014, under the wonderfully ominous name “Freshman Fifteen.”
The investigation centered on allegations that Swalwell provided congressional internships in exchange for campaign contributions. Investigators identified Fang as the alleged facilitator of the arrangement and accused her of using intermediaries to disguise the source of prohibited foreign donations.
“The FBI developed evidence that a Chinese woman with direct ties to that country’s intelligence service had potentially compromised a Democratic congressman from California with sex, foreign interns and illicit donations while she was being recruited to become a bureau informant a decade ago, according to bombshell memos that expose another threat to America’s political system from Beijing.”
That is quite a sentence.
Apparently, the FBI was not merely investigating a congressional intern who happened to have a funny accent. Investigators believed they were looking at a Chinese national with connections to Beijing's intelligence apparatus who had cultivated relationships with American politicians.
The documents say the FBI opened its investigation after allegations emerged that congressional internships were being exchanged for campaign contributions. Fang was allegedly the person making the arrangements.
“Investigation has revealed Fang ‘Christine’ Fang, a Chinese foreign national residing in the United States, is the facilitator of a scheme to trade access to Swalwell and internships in his congressional office in return for campaign contributions […]” the memo reads.
The FBI also alleged that Fang “used conduits to conceal herself as a prohibited Foreign National source,” for illegal campaign contributions “at least twice in 2013 and at least two more times in 2014.”
And then there is Jack Smith.
During the early stages of the investigation, the FBI regularly briefed the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, which was then headed by Smith. Smith would later become famous for leading the Biden administration's investigations and prosecutions of Trump.
Washington really does have a remarkable talent for producing recurring characters.
Eventually, after interviewing Swalwell multiple times, the FBI determined that it had not found evidence that the congressman himself had violated federal statutes. On February 8, 2017, the bureau reclassified the investigation, dropped Swalwell as a subject and concentrated on Fang's alleged campaign finance violations.
So Swalwell survived.
Politically speaking, this was apparently the congressional equivalent of walking away from an exploding building without even getting dust on the suit.
But the FBI's interest in Fang went considerably further than her relationship with Swalwell.
Before investigating her alleged illegal activities, bureau agents spent months trying to recruit her as an informant. They used an undercover employee and even created a fictitious company in an effort to persuade Fang to cooperate.
The objective was to obtain information about Chinese influence operations targeting American public officials, several of whom Fang was reportedly close to.
The operation was given the appropriately subtle name “Rusty Thumbs.”
According to the memos, an undercover FBI employee met with Fang several times, learned about her background and offered her a consulting position with the fictional company. The proposed job would have involved using her Chinese connections to assist the business.
Fang apparently wasn't eager to provide a detailed biography of her life in China. The memos say she was vague about her past, declined to explain her parents' positions with the Chinese government and would not disclose where she attended undergraduate school.
She was apparently much more comfortable discussing her political activities in America.
Those activities reportedly included helping connect donors to Swalwell's congressional campaign.
Eventually, Fang agreed to work with the fictional company. On June 14, 2013, she signed a contractor agreement for the consulting position.
The FBI has the contract in its files.
So there you have it. A Democratic congressman, a Chinese national with alleged intelligence connections, congressional internships, campaign contributions, a physical relationship, an undercover FBI operation, a fake company and something called “Rusty Thumbs.”
At this point, all that seems to be missing is Tom Clancy receiving a royalty check.
The important distinction, of course, is that the FBI ultimately concluded it had not established federal criminal violations by Swalwell himself. But the newly released documents nonetheless provide a remarkable look at how seriously the bureau viewed Fang's activities and the possibility that Beijing was using relationships with American politicians to gain influence.
And somehow Eric Swalwell still gets to participate in American politics.
Apparently, surviving a Chinese honeypot scandal is now considered a qualification for higher office in California.
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Democrats Shocked To Learn Campaign Funds Apparently Not Meant For Family Vacations, Theme Parks, And The Super Bowl
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Ruben Gallego found himself under scrutiny this week after reports surfaced suggesting he may have used campaign funds for family travel, Disney trips, and Super Bowl tickets, triggering panic among Democrats who were reportedly unaware that campaign accounts were not simply upgraded checking accounts with patriotic branding.
According to reports, Gallego allegedly drew from a joint campaign account he shared with former California Democrat Eric Flatulentia Swalwell, a politician whose career has survived scandals with the resilience of a cockroach wearing a congressional lapel pin.
Federal law technically prohibits campaign money from being used for "personal use," a phrase that has apparently baffled generations of Washington lawmakers accustomed to treating donor contributions like airline reward points.
The report claims Gallego's political committee paid for travel to Miami and Chicago, along with magical fact-finding missions to both Disneyland and Disney World. The committee also reportedly spent more than $18,000 on childcare reimbursements, prompting observers to wonder whether campaign donors thought they were funding elections or a family vacation package.
Gallego did not deny the allegations.
"This is not breaking news," he said in a statement to POLITICO. "With the rising costs of child care and the burden it has on the budgets of American families, Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House alike regularly travel with their wives and children, as is permitted by the FEC."
Political analysts noted that Gallego's defense essentially amounted to, "Everyone does it," a phrase that has historically appeared moments before ethics investigations, congressional hearings, or awkward resignation speeches.
Gallego is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, joining a crowded Democratic bench that includes Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Party strategists expressed concern that controversies like this could damage a future presidential campaign, though they admitted the greater threat may be voters becoming aware of how campaign money is actually spent.
At press time, congressional ethics experts were reportedly preparing a new educational pamphlet explaining that campaign donations are not intended to function as a Disney annual pass with tax advantages.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
‘Sleazebag’ Dad Caucus founder Rep. Jimmy Gomez admits to cheating on wife after Post exposé
WASHINGTON — Congressional Dads Caucus founder Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) finally fessed up Tuesday that he cheated on his wife, right after The NY Post dropped the April bombshell that he was caught playing tonsil hockey with a congressional aide outside a DC party.
The Post’s report lit the fuse on a House Ethics Committee investigation that dug up all kinds of gross new details, absolutely torching Gomez’s painstakingly polished image as America’s most devoted family man.
“Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family,” Gomez told CNN, describing the extramarital relations as “consensual.”
“I sincerely apologize to my wife, family, friends and the people that I have the privilege to serve,” said Gomez after he was caught, who in January 2023 wore his baby son in a sling around his neck during marathon votes for House speaker like the world’s most committed dad influencer.
“I sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal the relationships that mean everything to me, and move forward with the honesty, transparency, and respect that everyone deserves from the people they love. I continue to do this work.”
The Los Angeles Democrat was spotted making out with a much younger congressional aide for a different lawmaker outside the home of then-Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), The Post revealed in April.
Gomez, who is married, was making out with the aide at Swalwell’s bash to celebrate the start of that year’s August recess. Attendees did not recall seeing his wife or 11-month-old son anywhere in the vicinity. Shocking.
Swalwell, the man known for "the fart heard round the world," resigned in disgrace following a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him earlier this year. Birds of a feather and all that.
“This guy [Gomez] is a sleaze-bag. He should resign and use his free time to trade war stories with Swalwell,” said one Democratic source familiar with the matter.
“Hopefully he doesn’t hook up with another chief of staff at Eric Swalwell’s house. One is too many.”
Gomez and the younger Hill staffer were seen kissing by a stunned group of Democratic congressional aides, two of whom recounted their surprise to The Post. A third source heard of Gomez’s alleged relationship with the woman from additional Democratic sources.
The Post did not initially publish the name of the woman involved.
Gomez, a close Swalwell friend, strongly denied The Post’s reporting in April and his confession did not specify particular wrongdoing. How convenient.
A spokesman did not immediately offer comment on whether he was confessing to the relationship reported by The Post — after his blanket denials.
Gomez, who represents a heavily Democratic district in Los Angeles, also gave no indication that he planned to resign. Of course he didn’t.
“Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most,” Gomez said in his statement.
“I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family.”
Sure, Jimmy. Keep that Dads Caucus membership card warm.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Comrade Bernie Sanders-backed group just endorsed a billionaire in governor's race
| Millionaire Comrade Bernie and his bad breath |
Well, here’s a twist you almost have to admire for its sheer lack of self-awareness. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Communist-VT) used to attack millionaires and billionaires, but now that he has become a millionaire, it's only the billionaires now that he goes after. Hypocrisy much?
Billionaire California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer has just landed the endorsement of Our Revolution, a group tied to Bernie Sanders that has made a name for itself railing against… billionaires.
Yes, really.
To their credit, the group didn’t try to dodge the obvious contradiction. They leaned into it, acknowledging Steyer’s billionaire status in a press release while insisting that “it matters what he is doing with that power: pushing for taxes on the wealthy, expanding universal programs, and dismantling corporate influence in our politics.”
So, the problem isn’t billionaires; it’s the wrong billionaires.
“Tom Steyer understands that California’s affordability crisis is not inevitable, it’s the result of a political system shaped by concentrated wealth and corporate power at the expense of working people,” said Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese.
“At a moment when too many defend the status quo, Tom has taken a different path, challenging the very system that benefits people like him,” he added.
And if you’re keeping score at home, the group even noted on X that this is the first time they’ve endorsed a billionaire for public office. Historic stuff.
Steyer, for his part, was more than happy to accept the nod, saying he’s “honored” and promising that “as Governor, [he’ll] work tirelessly to realize our shared vision of a California that works for working people.”
Meanwhile, Our Revolution’s own website still proudly calls for efforts to “Defund Oligarchy” and to “eliminate in the influence of corporations, billionaires and consultants in our political process.” Apparently, there are exceptions, especially when the billionaire in question is writing checks in the right direction.
Steyer, a climate activist who made his fortune founding Farallon Capital, is worth about $2.4 billion, according to Forbes. He’s poured tens of millions into saturating California’s airwaves, something he also did during his unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid.
And here’s the kicker: it might actually be working because he has a 'D' after his name and that's all it takes for the left.
Polling aggregated by RealClearPolitics suggests Steyer is currently the top Democrat heading into the June 2 top-two primary.
The race, however, is anything but settled. Eric Swalwell dropped out and resigned from Congress following multiple sexual misconduct allegations, blowing up what many thought was the Democrats’ strongest hand.
The field is still crowded, with Steyer facing off against Katie Porter, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan, among others. Betty Yee has already bowed out after weak polling, and Gavin Newsom hasn’t tipped his frenetic hand on a successor.
On the Republican side, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco are still putting up respectable numbers—enough to raise the outside possibility of a Democratic lockout in California’s “jungle primary.”
In that system, the top two vote-getters—party labels be damned—advance to November.
And if current trends hold, one of them could very well be a billionaire endorsed by a group that exists to oppose billionaires.
Politics doesn’t get much cleaner than that.
Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress
| Former Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and her eyelashes |
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigned from Congress today, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The resignation went down just minutes before a scheduled House Ethics Committee hearing set to consider formal disciplinary action, which could have included expulsion recommendations.
Cherfilus-McCormick said in her arrogant statement that the process was a "witch hunt" and unfair "political games," saying she chose to step away rather than continue. Her resignation is effective immediately.
She is facing 53 years in prison as part of a separate criminal indictment. The chances that her actually serving that sentence is as remote as JD Pritzker running a marathon.
Her abrupt announcement came after Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) pledged to file a motion to expel her, teeing up a vote later this week. It takes two-thirds of the House to remove a lawmaker, but a growing number of Democrats have voiced support for the expulsion effort.
She took to social media to blast the entire ethics investigation as a "witch hunt" and whined about supposed violations of her due process rights, even though the committee had bent over backward to accommodate her, granting a delay earlier this year when she temporarily lost her legal representation.
But Rep. Michael Guest wasn’t having any of it on Tuesday. The Mississippi Republican pushed back hard on that narrative, pointing out that Cherfilus-McCormick had repeatedly turned down the committee’s invitations to hand over any exculpatory evidence that might clear her name."The committee has worked diligently to investigate this matter," Guest said. "This was not a rush to judgment, as some would claim … this was a very deliberate process to gather information into allegations that were extremely serious, and extremely complicated."
Guest also made sure to thank the committee staff who had spent more than two years grinding through this mess, poring over tens of thousands of documents to get to the bottom of Cherfilus-McCormick’s alleged shenanigans.
And just like that, she became the third lawmaker to resign from Congress in the past week alone. California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales both stepped down last week to dodge their own expulsion threats tied to serious sexual misconduct allegations.
At least five women have now come forward accusing Swalwell of sexual assault and rape. Gonzales, for his part, admitted to sexual misconduct back in March with a former aide, who later tragically died by suicide.
Despite the storm clouds, Cherfilus-McCormick went ahead and filed for re-election anyway, though her fundraising tells a different story: she scraped together a measly $11,000 in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest FEC filings. Whether she plans to actually keep that campaign alive remains to be seen.
Notably, Cherfilus-McCormick herself wasn’t even on the House floor when her resignation announcement was read aloud.
A staffer for the congresswoman told reporters she was back in Washington with her family as the news dropped.
"She's with her family digesting this development and digesting this decision," the aide said. "As you can imagine, this wasn't what she wanted."
House Democratic leadership stayed conspicuously silent in the run-up to her resignation announcement, even after the Ethics Committee laid out the extensive misconduct in painstaking detail.
But it looks like Cherfilus-McCormick finally caved once a wave of her own Democratic colleagues made it crystal clear they’d vote to expel her if that rare removal vote ever hit the floor.
Former Speaker Nancy Hands-a-Flying Pelosi, never one to mince words, went on Fox News Tuesday and basically said enough is enough: "Let’s just get this over with."
Pelosi also called for the swift boot of embattled Rep. Cory Mills, the Florida Republican currently under Ethics Committee scrutiny for an alleged domestic violence incident and other issues.
"These cases just being out there . . . they make us look terrible," Pelosi said.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, didn’t publicly call on Cherfilus-McCormick to step down before she pulled the plug.
On the other side of the aisle, Speaker Mike Johnson argued that the Ethics Committee should be allowed to finish its work on Mills before any punishment gets considered.
"I'm confident that they are moving along as quickly as they are able," Johnson told Fox News. "And when members cooperate, which my understanding is Representative Mills is cooperating, unlike Cherfilus-McCormick, I would expect that the outcome would be much sooner."
"He's very upset about some of the allegations that have been made," Johnson added of Mills. "He says that he wants to prove his innocence, and he has the opportunity to do that."
By the way, this resignation didn’t fly under the radar, major outlets across the spectrum, Brain Flushings, PBS and CNN to CBS, Fox News, The Hill, Politico, Reuters, NBC, and The Washington Post, all jumped on the story today.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Swalwell accuser comes forward with photo evidence
Lonna Drewes and Rep. Eric Swalwell, (D-CA) are shown in a photo presented at Tuesday's news conference. It purports to show her and the congressman in 2018 at the opening of Avra restaurant in Beverly Hills. "Provided by Drewes and attorney Lisa Bloom."
An attorney for Eric Swalwell accuser Lonna Drewes blasted the outgoing congressman's public response Tuesday. She called his comments "blather and spin" and "a slap in the face to the victims."
At Tuesday's Beverly Hills news conference at the law office of attorneys Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, the legal team said it would immediately file a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
Bloom blasted Swalwell's recent statement in which he said he was "not perfect" and "not a saint" and framed the matter as one between him and his wife.
"Your statement that this is all just a matter between you and your wife is laughable, if not for the fact that it is a slap in the face to the victims," Bloom told reporters. "Your statement [Monday] that you just made, 'mistakes in judgment' is defensive and minimizing.
"Stop it. Own your behavior."
Bloom said her team would provide investigators with evidence including text messages, journal entries, a photograph and witness information.
"We will not rest until we get justice for Lonna," Bloom said.
Dropping out of the gubernatorial race and resigning from Congress is not enough, Bloom added.
"Losing one's job is not a sufficient consequence for these types of allegations," she said. "We feel that the criminal investigations are the priority."Bloom also argued Swalwell's resignation was not an act of accountability, but an effort to avoid further scrutiny.
"I do not, in my opinion, see that as an act of accountability at all," Bloom said. "I see it as an effort to avoid the expulsion hearing that was coming."
Bloom also issued a broader call for other possible accusers or witnesses to come forward. She said she had already received messages from other women and that her firm was available to speak with them confidentially.
"Enough is enough," Bloom said. "I'm sick and tired of women being victimized by men in power."
Thank you for following Brain Flushings. If you really want to help support my work here, you can Buy Me A Coffee or click on the ads alongside this page--it really helps. You can even subscribe to Brain Flushings--it's free.
GOP-er Tony Gonzales will retire from Congress: admits the affair with aide
Well, folks, strap in because the swamp is serving up another double helping of congressional sleaze today, and the timing is almost too perfect to be accidental.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) announced Monday that he plans to file his retirement from Congress on Tuesday after admitting to an affair with a former staffer who committed suicide last year.
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales posted on X, invoking his intimate relationship with G_d.
This mini bombshell dropped about an hour after Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said he’d be stepping down over his own sex scandal. These bipartisan scumcrumpets should walk away holding hands as they walk toward the sunset with their women folk.
Back in early March, Gonzales had already dropped his re-election bid in Texas’s 23rd Congressional District after getting dragged into a runoff by feisty GOP challenger Brandon Herrera. He’d also been catching heat from fellow Republicans who were loudly suggesting he might want to consider resigning his seat.
Those calls got a lot louder once Gonzales owned up to the affair with former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old married mother who, according to the fire department, “doused herself in gasoline and was ignited into flames” in the backyard of her Uvalde, Texas home.
Let's face it, politicians behaving badly is hardly breaking news, but when it ends in tragedy and then gets wrapped up in a neat little “God has a plan” bow, it’s enough to make even the most jaded observer roll their eyes.
Another day, another reminder that power attracts exactly the kind of people you wouldn’t want babysitting your kids. Enjoy your retirement, Congressman. Try not to set anything else on fire on the way out.
Swalwell gets the Dem hook for sexual misconduct allegations
| "It's this big" Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) wears a protective mask while speaking during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on April 15, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images) |
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) just dropped a political grenade on Monday, announcing he would resign his congressional seat in the wake of multiple bombshell reports from last Friday that kneecapped his already-flailing bid to become the next governor of California.
"I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past," Swalwell said in a statement. "I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make."
"I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong," he continued. "But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress."
At least four women have accused Swalwell [aka Swell-well] of sexual misconduct, including a former aide who alleged he raped her when she was intoxicated and could not consent, according to reporting from the Compromised News Network (CNN) and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Swalwell’s abrupt resignation announcement looks like a desperate sprint to the exits, potentially short-circuiting a bipartisan push to expel him from the House that was set to ramp up as early as this week.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the no-nonsense Florida Republican, was gearing up to introduce a resolution to boot Swalwell on Tuesday and had been pressing House GOP leadership to hold a vote on Wednesday.
Luna called on lawmakers from both parties to set aside "ideological differences" and back her measure alongside a separate expulsion effort targeting embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) led by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM).
"It is our responsibility, according to the Constitution and House rules, to hold one another accountable, especially when it brings dishonor upon the institution," Luna wrote to her House colleagues Tuesday in a letter reviewed by Fox News Digital. "We as Members of Congress need to stand together in publicly condemning this behavior and restore the trust we have lost with the American people."
The Florida Republican had warned over the weekend that she’d draft the expulsion papers if Swalwell didn’t resign by the time lawmakers returned to Washington on Tuesday. Luna’s resolution was on track to pick up serious bipartisan backing.
Even Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), a leading progressive voice, was among the Democrats voicing support for the expulsion drive.
Other Democrats urged Swalwell to step down but stopped short of endorsing Luna’s hard-line resolution.
The Democratic backlash following the San Francisco Chronicle’s gut-wrenching reporting triggered a stampede of Swalwell’s colleagues and longtime allies yanking their endorsements for his now-suspended gubernatorial campaign — including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi herself.
Swalwell bailed on the 2026 primary to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, despite polling that had him looking like a top-tier contender just days earlier.
Swalwell first entered the House in 2013. Prior to that, he worked as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and served on the Dublin, California, city council starting in 2010.
In Congress, he was a key player in the 2019 impeachment push against President Donald Trump and, before that, helmed investigations into whether Russian meddling actually swung the 2016 election.
Whether this resignation spells the final chapter of Swalwell’s political career remains to be seen.
Whispers of misconduct had started bubbling earlier this month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer turned political commentator, began sharing testimony from women claiming they were sexually assaulted by the congressman.
"The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women," Hunt posted on social media.
Swalwell’s team initially went radio silent before pushing back in comments to the New York Post earlier this week.
"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," spokesperson Micah Beasley said.
Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment because to do so would be a political blunder.
Monday, April 13, 2026
Billionaire pal kicks Swalwell out of mansion and wants his donations back after rape allegations
Stephen Cloobeck, that billionaire timeshare king and former California governor wannabe, just did what every sane person should have done months ago. He booted disgraced Democratic Rep. Eric 'Gasman' Swalwell out of his mansion and now wants his million dollars in campaign donations returned after a gaggle of women came forward accusing the congressman of sexual assault and misconduct.
Cloobeck used to call Swalwell his “little brother” in that March POLITICO interview. He even scoffed when the New York Post asked him about the lawmaker’s rumored creepy behavior with female staffers. But on Sunday the timeshare mogul sang a very different tune. He is cutting ties with Swalwell and the entire Democratic Party faster than you can say “hypocrite.”
“I am no longer supporting Eric,” the Diamond Resorts founder told the outlet. “F*cking tell everyone I’m a libertarian. F*ck you, Democrat Party. I’m a libertarian now.”
Classic.
Since four women went public in that CNN piece, more than fifty former Swalwell staffers have now demanded his resignation. On top of that, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced they are investigating because one of the alleged incidents happened in New York after Swalwell spoke at a gala there.
Even House Democrat leadership turned on him. House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar, and House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark put out a joint statement calling for Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial bid.
“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor,” the lawmakers wrote.
Swalwell officially suspended his campaign on Sunday. He claimed he is “deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past” while still insisting the allegations are “false.”“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made, but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he said in a statement posted to social media.
Here is the kicker. Cloobeck had launched his own short-lived run for California governor, then dropped out and endorsed Swalwell. According to the New York Post he dumped more than a million dollars into the guy’s campaign and let him crash at his 9,700-square-foot mansion whenever he wanted.
“I have a lot of people who stay at my house,” Cloobeck told the outlet. “I built a gorgeous place, my dream home, I relish it, and I’m a very generous man. I’m very thoughtful and I’m very kind.”
The billionaire, who admitted he had been a Democrat for about four decades, made it crystal clear he is finished with the party.
“I’m going to change my godd*mn party affiliation, because I cannot stand this Democratic Party at all,” he told the Post. “I am done. Finito.”
When asked if he thought Swalwell had been honest with him, Cloobeck replied, “I’m gonna have to investigate that. I don’t know the answer to that.”
Oh, now he needs to investigate? After funding the guy, housing the guy, and calling him “little brother”? Give me a break. This is what happens when the mask slips on the Democrat Party’s favorite protected class. One set of rules for thee, another for the powerful donors who finally wake up.
It Gets Worse for Swalwell: Nannygate Much?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just confirmed on Sunday that a federal investigation into the malodorous Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) now includes reports that the California Democrat, best known for his public flatulence and for sleeping with an alleged Chinese spy, hired and then lied about a Brazilian nanny who was living in the United States illegally.
POLITICO’s Dan Lippman broke the story, reporting that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had referred the allegations to law enforcement at DHS. The department fired back with a blunt response from its official X account:
“USCIS has been collecting information on the allegations involving Congressman Eric Swalwell hiring of a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization.Sources say this bombshell lands as multiple other investigations are already circling the wagons around Swalwell and as the embattled California congressman and former would-be gubernatorial candidate faces a growing pile of accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior, ranging from unwanted attention to at least one claim of rape from a former staffer.
@USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation. No one is above the law, including a member of Congress.”
The Manhattan district attorney opened an investigation into Swalwell on Saturday after learning that one of the women accusing him of sexual misconduct lived in New York. Weeks earlier, the Justice Department had opened an unrelated probe into the gubernatorial hopeful, alleging mortgage fraud.
His own employees piled on, with a group of senior staffers from both his congressional office and gubernatorial campaign issuing a joint memo and resigning en masse. They also urged voters to pull their support from Swalwell.
Swalwell has denied the accusations, calling them “flat false” and vowing to fight back with everything he has which, at this point, appears to be nothing but a collection of strongly-worded denials, a Brazilian nanny, and whatever scraps of dignity he has left after the whole Fang Fang incident.
Thank you for following Brain Flushings. If you really want to help support my work here, you can Buy Me A Coffee or click on the ads alongside this page--it really helps. You can even subscribe to Brain Flushings--it's free.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Eric "Gasman" Swalwell's staffer drops a bunker buster re: sexual assault, exposing self
Sexual harassment allegations have been amplified online by Democrat-aligned politicos targeting Rep. Eric "Methane Monster" Swalwell (D-CA), one of the leading leftist candidates in California’s gubernatorial race.
Amid repeated denials and cease and desist letters sent by Swalwell’s lawyer, one of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was 'plastered' on multiple occasions, according to a damning report published by the San Francisco Chronicle Friday.
The unnamed female accuser, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and revealed that he started pursuing her, despite being married, shortly after she was hired as a young 21-year-old staffer in his district office. On multiple occasions, the young staffer recalls blacking out from alcohol consumption, before waking up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident, and their relationship faded, before reuniting when she no longer worked for him, during which another incident allegedly took place.
“Eric Swalwell should immediately drop out,” Democratic strategist Bhavik Lathia said after the San Francisco Chronicle’s report dropped. “It is damning.” And hey, isn’t it coincidental how all the garbage stories come out just before elections?
Former San Jose Mayor and fellow Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in California, Matt Mahan, also called on Swalwell to “drop out,” in order to improve his anemic chances of winning.
“To the survivor who risked everything to come forward, I believe you,” he said. “To the Democratic Party – you’d better hold him accountable,” Mahan said. They always believe the woman unless she’s a Democrat.
“If we don’t, we have no credibility asking anyone else to do the same,” he continued.Sen. Ruben Gallego, (D-AZ) a longtime friend of Swalwell who faced backlash earlier this week for trying to discredit allegations against the California Democrat, posted on Friday that he “regret[s] having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”
“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” Gallego said. “I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Swalwell, effective immediately.”
Swalwell recently said during a press gaggle that the allegations are “false,” including allegations that Swalwell previously pressured female staffers to sign non-disclosure agreements so they cannot speak out, or that he was involved in an alleged hush money settlement.
“It’s false. And also some of the allegations I’ve seen, which is that we’ve had NDAs in the office – never. There’s never been an allegation, and there’s never been a settlement,” Swalwell insisted this week.
“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, also said on Tuesday.
Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer who is currently a nonprofit director at the group Gen-Z for Change, is among the voices acting as a proxy for alleged Swalwell accusers and has been helping amplify their stories to screw him in a different way that he allegedly asked for.
The alleged victim, who began working for Swalwell during his short-lived presidential campaign in 2019, said a married Swalwell, who was 38, began pursuing her, including through messages on Snapchat, which allows users to send photos that subsequently disappear after someone has looked at them. She claimed the relationship rapidly progressed as Swalwell began asking for pictures of her face, then her naked body and eventually her genitalia. When messaging, the victim alleged Swalwell would sometimes send shirtless selfies or other images of his own genitalia, a là Anthony Weiner style.
Swalwell tried to kiss the alleged victim in her car when she drove him home from a donor meeting one night, and on another occasion he allegedly pulled out his sad penis while in the vehicle and asked her to perform oral sex on him.
Meanwhile, in September 2019, the alleged victim, who was then working in Swalwell’s Castro Valley district office, reportedly said Swalwell invited her out for dinner and drinks when she drank too much and blacked out. She claimed to have not even remembered leaving the restaurant, but was woken up in Swalwell’s hotel room the next day with vaginal soreness indicative of sexual intercourse.
After the September 2019 incident at Swalwell’s hotel, the victim said the pair’s relationship faded as Swalwell distanced himself from her and began treating her more formally during public interactions because he's a fickle finklefuts.
However, the woman claimed that five years later, while attending an April 2024 charity event Swalwell was being honored at, the pair reunited. She was not working for Swalwell at this later date, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman indicated that she and Swalwell went out for drinks after the event, during which, once again, she became inebriated and claims that she could only remember bits and pieces about the night, and a funny odor.
| Smells his fingers, for some reason |
“Even though he had hurt me in the past, I felt like he was someone I could trust,” the alleged victim said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “Because we shared this secret together, it pulled me closer to him.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting on the alleged victim’s experiences, one moment she did remember from the night was pushing Swalwell away and telling him “no” as he allegedly tried to force her to have sex with him, which can be construed as illegal in some jurisdictions such as the United States of America and beyond.
“This happened one other time when I was working with him, but I convinced myself I was an equal party in it even though same pattern: I blacked out and he had sex with me,” the alleged victim wrote, referring to the 2019 incident, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting. The outlet also indicated it spoke with the friend the victim was allegedly texting, as well as the woman’s then-boyfriend who she reportedly told about the assault the next day. The boyfriend reportedly encouraged her to report Swalwell at the time.
However, she did not go to the authorities at the time, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, because she was afraid she would not be believed. Medical records reportedly showed she did obtain a pregnancy and STD test a week following the incident.
Swalwell subsequently messaged the alleged victim after the 2024 incident and told her not to tell anyone about their interaction that night, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “He even sent me a message: you said you didn’t remember anything last time i [sic] hope you do now,” the alleged victim reportedly texted her friend three days after the incident. “And i said: yeah I’m trying to forget thanks.”
“He was sending messages like we just had a romantic encounter like he knows what he’s doing,” the alleged victim also allegedly wrote to her friend at the time. “He was gaslighting me into thinking it was consensual.” [Interesting use of the term gaslighting in Swalwell's case.]
Swalwell’s alleged victim began talking to the San Francisco news outlet roughly a month ago, as she was weighing whether to go public with her allegations as they began anonymously surfacing online.
The victim was confused how the rumors began, considering she only told family and a small group of friends about the incident. [All of whom were likely Democrats, so that answers that question.]
“He was so confident that I would stay silent that he wasn’t scared,” she said of Swalwell.“I have no skin in the game of who becomes governor of California, but I feel people have a right to know whether the person who leads a state that is a safe haven for so many women actually treats women with dignity and will protect their rights,” continued the woman, who still works on Capitol Hill, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “No one protected me from him, and so I have to protect the other young women like me who aspire to work in this field and he could prey upon.”
Late Thursday night, Swalwell’s attorney, Elias Dabaie, sent a cease-and-desist letter that Hunt, one of the individuals amplifying Swalwell’s accuser’s claims, argues is an effort to intimidate those trying to speak up about Swalwell’s history with women.
“Today we learned [Swalwell] is intimidating survivors, serving cease and desist letters on those coming forward with stories of sexual harassment and abuse. He sent this threat in the dead of night — another attempt to delay the truth,” Hunt wrote on social media, attaching a copy of the first letter of the cease and desist letter she claimed to have obtained.
“This is what it looks like when powerful men get caught,” Hunt continued. “These cease and desists are a disgusting abuse of power against brave women who are courageously working together to share their stories. It begs the question: if Swalwell has done nothing wrong, as his campaign claims, why not let the women tell their stories in the light of day? Our team remains steadfast. We will not relent. The women will not recant.”
Oh boy, here we go again, folks. Another day, another Democrat big shot caught with his pants down, literally, and the left is doing what they do best: circling the wagons while pretending they care about women.
Look, the facts are laid out, and the hypocrisy is thicker than the fog in San Francisco. Swalwell’s team is out there screaming “false” and “outrageous rumor,” yet women are coming forward with details that line up, texts that exist, and friends who back it up.
Trump’s New Press Secretary Lasted Days Before Her Credentials Became the Story
The White House press secretary ’s job is to defend the president, handle hostile questions from the press, and explain the administration’s...