Democrats’ outrage stems from reporting by the Washington Post on Saturday that FBI Director Kash Patel is seeking to publicly release a decade-old investigative file regarding Swalwell’s past connection to a woman suspected of being a Chinese intelligence operative, despite the fact that the Congressman has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
“The FBI is attempting to smear a sitting U.S. Congressman, candidate for governor, and vocal opponent of the president,” Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, said in a statement on Saturday. “What the hell does that have to do with law enforcement? This is plain weaponization of the FBI for partisan political purposes.”
The file is related to Swalwell’s past association with Christine Fang, also known as “Fang Fang,” who reportedly sought to establish relationships with California politicians, including Swalwell, the Post reported.
How has Swalwell responded to the FBI’s reported push to release the files?
Swalwell shared a statement in response to the Post’s reporting on social media.
In the cease and desist letter Swalwell’s lawyers sent Patel on Monday, they requested that the FBI agree within three days not to publicize the documents, the Post reported. His attorneys said in the letter that any additional move by the FBI to release the files could result in them taking legal action against the agency. His lawyers argued that releasing the files would violate multiple laws, including the federal Privacy Act of 1974, which bars agency records relating to an individual from being released without their written consent except in certain circumstances.
In the Post’s initial story about Patel’s reported push to release the files, an FBI spokesperson denied any inappropriate motives, saying that “the contentions in this story are incorrect.”
How have other Democrats responded?
Several Democrats have denounced the FBI’s reported push to release the files. Raskin accused Patel of "wasting the resources of the FBI” and “ordering agents to spend hours preparing a political smear file for a personnel vendetta.”
California Sen. Adam Schiff characterized the situation as an “abuse of the FBI” that “is as dangerous as it is unlawful.”
Swalwell is one of 10 prominent candidates—eight Democrats and two Republicans—who are running in California’s crowded race for governor. The primary election will be held on June 2.
Multiple polls released this month have shown Swalwell as among the top Democratic candidates in the race, and as leading at least one of the Republicans, indicating that he may be poised to make the November ballot.
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