SAN FRANCISCO – Federal agents have seized electronic devices belonging to former East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell, according to reporting by Fox News, and court documents.
Swalwell’s electronic devices seized
What we know:
Agents executed the seizures on Saturday at Swalwell’s Washington, D.C., residence, as well as directly from the former lawmaker at San Francisco International Airport, according to Fox sources and court documents obtained by KTVU.
Swalwell was neither detained nor placed under arrest during the operations.
The device seizures are reportedly linked to sexual misconduct allegations involving the former congressman.
Representatives for the FBI, as well as Swalwell and his legal team, have not issued statements or commented on the matter.
Federal court records provide details
Dig deeper:
Court records from the U.S. District Court of Northern California show that the search warrant was executed at SFO on Saturday at 8:25 p.m.
Details about why federal agents asked for the search are sealed.
The warrant request was filed Aug. 13, records show.
Federal agents seized one Apple iPhone, as well as one Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer.
The search warrant documents cite a federal statute, Title 18, Section 242, which allows the government to investigate potential criminal behavior of public officials who they believe are abusing their power, according to David Levine, a professor at UC Law San Francisco.
“This particular statute is a civil rights statute,” Levine said.
“So, if they hurt somebody, sexual abuse is part of it. There could be other kinds of crimes. So, basically, be by using their power as an official,” he went on to say.
Levine noted that it is unusual in this case to have a search warrant executed so publicly at an airport or home.
Typically, it would be more common to issue a subpoena, he said, especially in a case where there is little flight risk and there has been no indictment.
Big picture view:
Arick Fudali, an attorney for Lonna Drewes, who said Swalwell allegedly drugged her drink, choked her and raped her in 2018, said in a statement on Thursday that their firm is “encouraged to learn about the escalation of the FBI’s investigation into the allegations against Eric Swalwell.”
The seizures come shortly after the FBI declassified documents revealing that Swalwell admitted to federal agents that he had “physical relations” with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine “Fang Fang” on a “handful of occasions.”
Other women have also made sexual assault allegations against Swalwell, which he has denied.
He has not been charged with any crimes.
However, in April, Swalwell resigned from both congress and his bid to become California governor.
The Source: Fox reporter Bill Melugin, Arick Fudali, an attorney for Lonna Drewes, court documents from the U.S. District Court of Northern California and David Levine, a professor at UC Law San Francisco.