FBI Agents Seize Evidence from Eric Swalwell at Airport
Federal agents confronted former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend and seized electronic devices pursuant to a search warrant, according to a new report.
The Daily Mail reported Thursday that agents were waiting for Swalwell when he arrived in San Francisco on Saturday. The devices taken reportedly included his cellphone, which the outlet said was sought as part of a federal criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the former California congressman.
FBI agents confront Eric Swalwell at San Francisco Airport and seize his electronics as part of sexual misconduct investigation https://t.co/6zycCEHqFP
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) August 20, 2026
The reported encounter at the airport was followed by another law enforcement action the next day.
Sources cited by the Mail said agents executed additional court-approved warrants Sunday at Swalwell’s Washington, D.C., residence. The search reportedly ended with investigators removing undisclosed items they considered potential evidence.
According to the report, Swalwell began Saturday in Washington, where he shares a home with his wife, Brittany Watts, and their three children. He later flew to California and encountered federal agents after arriving in San Francisco.
The Mail’s sources said Swalwell cooperated with agents.
Neither Swalwell nor his wife was reportedly at the Washington residence when federal agents arrived Sunday to conduct their search.
The reported searches come amid serious allegations against Swalwell, which he has denied.
According to the Mail, at least four women have publicly accused the former congressman of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct. One former staffer has alleged that Swalwell raped her twice, claiming she was too intoxicated to consent during one encounter and that he took advantage of her condition.
Another woman has accused Swalwell of drugging and raping her in 2018.
Two additional women have accused him of sending them unsolicited sexually explicit photographs.
These remain allegations, and the reported execution of search warrants does not establish Swalwell’s guilt or mean that criminal charges will necessarily be filed.
The Department of Justice reportedly opened a federal investigation into the accusations in April. According to the Daily Mail, Swalwell has also faced separate inquiries by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Swalwell has denied the sexual assault allegations.
Politico previously reported that he apologized to his wife for what he described as instances of poor judgment after the accusations became public, though that apology did not amount to an admission of the sexual assault claims.
The controversy also had major political consequences for Swalwell.
His campaign for governor of California collapsed after the allegations surfaced. Before that, he had been viewed as a significant contender in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Daily Mail also reported that the weekend searches were unrelated to a separate controversy that followed Swalwell during his years in Congress: his past association with Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, a woman suspected by U.S. intelligence officials of acting as a Chinese intelligence operative.
Swalwell served in the House from 2013 and became a nationally recognizable Democratic figure through his committee assignments, frequent television appearances and outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump. His connection to Fang drew considerable scrutiny from Republicans, but the Mail reported that the current federal investigation has nothing to do with that matter.