Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) urged Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to resign from Congress on Wednesday after reports that he was involved in a longterm dalliance with an alleged Chinese spy.
“I think, to be careful and to [be] cautious, he should actually resign from the intelligence committee,” Paul told Fox News host Sandra Smith, when asked whether Swalwell should step down from his position of authority that offers him unique access to classified information.
“If he’s not willing to do that, he should be removed from the intelligence committee,” Paul continued. “But I also think that — what hypocrisy! This is a guy who was hurling stones and accusations, all kinds of false accusations at President Trump. ‘Oh, he’s controlled by spies,’ and this and that. He was the most over-the-top critic of President Trump on Russia collusion, and it turns out he’s sleeping with a Chinese spy.”
“I mean, my goodness, the hypocrisy! It’s appalling, and he really should be red-faced and ashamed of himself, and really probably ought to just resign from Congress.”
WATCH:
"He was the most over-the-top critic of President Trump on Russia collusion, and it turns out he's sleeping with a Chinese spy."@RandPaul says @ericswalwell "ought to just resign from Congress," after his association with an alleged Chinese spy was revealed. pic.twitter.com/84bmxfmHsn
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 16, 2020
Paul’s admonition follows a stern rebuke from 17 of Swalwell’s Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives, who likewise urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to remove Swalwell from the intelligence committee.
The Daily Wire reported:
Seventeen top GOP lawmakers in the House sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Tuesday urging her to remove Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the House Intelligence Committee following revelation of his alleged longtime dalliance with a Chinese spy.
“We write to you today out of concern with Congressman Eric Swalwell’s reported, close contacts with a Chinese Communist Party spy recently reported by Axios,” the letter began, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Wire. “Because of Rep. Swalwell’s position on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, his close interactions with Chinese intelligence services, however unintentional they may be, are an unacceptable national security risk.”
An alleged Chinese Ministry of State Security operative named Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, had a relationship with Swalwell that U.S. intelligence officials believe was sexual, as reported by Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“Speaker Pelosi spent four years yelling about President Trump being compromised by Russia, despite never having evidence to support her claim,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “Well, now we have proof our foremost adversary compromised a lawmaker who regularly handles highly classified intelligence. Speaker Pelosi needs to step up, put country over party and call on Rep. Swalwell to resign from the House Intelligence Committee.”
Swalwell has remained silent on the accusations against him, though his family remains Facebook friends with Fang, according to the New York Post.
“I don’t have any concern about Mr. Swalwell,” Pelosi told reporters last week.
Related: ‘Unfit To Serve’: 17 House Republicans Urge Pelosi To Remove Swalwell From Intel Committee