Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are calling for action to be taken over the recent Axios report about Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) ties to an alleged Chinese spy.
The alleged spy, Chinese national Christine Fang, “targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage” through “campaign fundraising, extensive networking, personal charisma, and romantic or sexual relationships,” Axios reported. “Even though U.S. officials do not believe Fang received or passed on classified information, the case ‘was a big deal, because there were some really, really sensitive people that were caught up’ in the intelligence network, a current senior U.S. intelligence official said.”
The FBI became so alarmed over how close the alleged spy got to Swalwell that they had to intervene and warn Swalwell, at which point he reportedly severed ties with Fang.
A spokesperson for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that if Rubio is named Chairman of the Senate Committee on Intelligence that he “plans to hold a public hearing on Fang Fang and Chinese espionage as soon as possible in the new year.”
“If Senator Rubio is named Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as expected, he plans to hold a public hearing on Fang Fang and Chinese espionage as soon as possible in the new year.”
–SENATOR @marcorubio SPOKESMAN #FoxNews— Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸 (@MikeEmanuelFox) December 14, 2020
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee late last week urging them to open an investigation into the allegations.
“I respectfully request the House Committee on Ethics immediately open an investigation into the allegations recently made public by an article in Axios regarding the compromising of Representative Eric Swalwell, a member of Congress and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” Sensenbrenner wrote. “The story indicates that the FBI was so concerned with his close relationship with Fang that they had to warn Swalwell about his connections to a known spy in 2015, including Rep. Swalwell’s decision to place an intern in his Congressional office on Fang’s recommendations.”
Sensenbrenner noted that Pelosi appointed Swalwell to the House Intelligence Committee in 2015 “providing the then-second term congressmen with significant access to highly sensitive and classified information.”
“Rep. Swalwell repeatedly refuses to answer any questions about these allegations, including whether he alerted then-Leader Pelosi to the potential compromise when she appointed him” to the House Intelligence Committee,” Sensenbrenner continued. “It is unknown how much private and/or classified information Fang had access to as a result of her relationship with Rep. Swalwell and whether Rep. Swalwell was compromised as a relationship with her.”
Sensenbrenner added, “Allowing an international spy to forge a close relationship with a member of Congress and then allowing personnel decisions to be influenced by a Chinese national does not reflect creditably on the House.”
Related:
- Alleged Chinese Spy Got So Close To Democrat Eric Swalwell That ‘Alarmed’ FBI Had To Intervene: Report
- Eric Swalwell Suggests Conspiracy Theory Behind Bombshell Report On His Ties To Alleged Chinese Spy
- Pelosi On Swalwell-Chinese Spy: I Have No ‘Concern’ About Him, GOP Trying To ‘Deflect’ From ‘QAnon’