FBI agents surprised disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) when he arrived at the San Francisco airport on Saturday, slapping him with a search warrant.
Sources familiar with the law enforcement action confirmed to The Daily Wire that Swalwell&#8217;s phone and other electronic devices were seized by agents at the airport.
Federal law enforcement officials also <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/us-news/fbi-confronts-eric-swalwell-at-airport-seizes-electronics-in-sexual-misconduct-probe-report/">served and executed</a> search warrants on Swalwell&#8217;s residence in Washington, D.C., where additional electronic devices were seized. Several sources confirmed that the seizure was related to an ongoing criminal probe into the 45-year-old former California lawmaker stemming from a number of accusations of sexual misconduct and even rape.
The FBI seizure report comes just days after newly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-fbi-files-blow-open-swalwells-long-running-fang-fang-mystery">declassified</a> documents shed light on Swalwell&#8217;s repeated dalliances with Chinese spy Christine Fang (&#8220;Fang Fang&#8221;). He has not responded to the new document dump.
Swalwell, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16066819/Eric-Swalwell-FBI-San-Francisco-seize-electronics-sexual-misconduct.html">reports</a> first published by The Daily Mail, cooperated with federal agents when they greeted him at the airport on Saturday, and neither he nor his wife or children were present at the D.C. residence when agents entered the premises.
The former gubernatorial candidate faced a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-accusers-the-fbi-yacht-girls-things-go-from-bad-to-worse-for-swalwell">slew of accusations</a> from several women who accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior — and one former staffer who claimed that he raped her twice when she was too inebriated to have given her consent — and ultimately dropped out of the race in California before the primary election. He resigned from Congress days later.
Swalwell has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwell-wont-drop-out-despite-his-metoo-era-kavanaugh-demand">maintained his innocence</a> throughout, consistently claiming that the accusations against him were politically motivated. Before the women went public, he was leading the field in the gubernatorial primary – but because California uses a &#8220;jungle primary&#8221; system that advances only the top two candidates overall, Swalwell claimed he was targeted in order to keep him from splintering the Democratic vote. His exit, he maintained, was strategically designed to prevent a general election matchup that locked out the Democratic Party entirely.
The Department of Justice opened an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwell-under-federal-investigation-for-alleged-sexual-assault">official investigation</a> into Swalwell in April, and he&#8217;s stayed relatively quiet in the weeks since.

Eric Swalwell

FBI Surprises Eric Swalwell At Airport, Seizes Key Evidence

FBI Surprised Disgraced Rep. Swalwell At Airport, Seized Electronics

Media

Politics

Sexual Misconduct

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) is officially under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, making him the latest California Democrat to face scrutiny as a series of scandals continues to roil Congress.
The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is reviewing allegations that Gomez “may have engaged in sexual misconduct” in violation of the House Code of Official Conduct, including “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.” The committee cautioned that an investigation does not itself establish that Gomez violated any law or House rule. “No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,” the committee said.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/rep-jimmy-gomez-friend-of-of-eric-swalwell-accused-of-kissing-staffer/">reported in April</a> that Gomez had been seen kissing a much younger congressional aide in the backyard of then-Rep. Eric Swalwell’s Washington residence in August 2023. Gomez, 51, acknowledged in June that he had engaged in extramarital conduct but insisted that his actions were consensual and did not violate the law or House ethics rules.
“Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family,” Gomez wrote in a statement to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/politics/jimmy-gomez-house-ethics-investigation">CNN</a>. “Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most.”
“I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family,” Gomez added. “I sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal my relationships and move forward with honesty, transparency and respect.”
Gomez said Monday that he would cooperate with the Ethics Committee investigation. The panel specifically cited an allegation involving “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer,” though it did not provide further details.
Gomez remains on the ballot for reelection in California&#8217;s 34th Congressional District. He advanced through the state&#8217;s top-two primary earlier this year and will face far-left Democrat Angela Gonzales-Torres in November.
The investigation comes during an unusually turbulent year for congressional ethics and sexual misconduct allegations. Two lawmakers, including California Democrat Eric Swalwell, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-to-resign-from-congress-over-sexual-misconduct-scandal">resigned</a> from Congress this year amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell has denied wrongdoing. Swalwell&#8217;s departure is particularly notable in the context of Gomez&#8217;s case because the alleged 2023 encounter involving Gomez occurred at Swalwell&#8217;s Washington residence.
The Ethics Committee has also recommended that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-congressman-faces-censure-over-beyond-inappropriate-treatment-of-staffers">be censured</a> after finding that he violated House rules involving sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment. Edwards subsequently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-ends-re-election-bid-after-report-on-beyond-inappropriate-behavior">abandoned his reelection</a> campaign and has denied wrongdoing.
The House has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-congress-returns-one-question-looms-which-house-members-could-face-expulsion">considering broader changes</a> to its rules governing relationships between lawmakers and congressional staff. Current House rules do not categorically prohibit members from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with staffers who work for other members, although a bipartisan congressional task force is considering whether such relationships should be prohibited.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/21/congress/speaker-backs-ban-on-members-dating-staff-01006175">endorsed a broader ban</a>, saying that sexual relationships between lawmakers and congressional staffers are inappropriate in a workplace.
For now, the committee has not determined that Gomez violated House rules, and Gomez maintains that his conduct did not constitute an ethics violation.

House Lawmakers Work On Final Passage Of Signature Budget Bill

Another California Democrat Hit With Sexual Assault Claims

California

California Elections

Congress

Democrats

Ethics

ethics committee

Ethics Complaint

Ethics investigation

House Democrats

House of Representatives

Mike Johnson

Sex Scandal

U.S. House of Representatives

Newly released FBI files reveal that former Rep. Eric Swalwell had a sexual relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, known as “Fang Fang,” settling years of public uncertainty over the nature of their relationship.
According to the May 2015 FBI files, released by the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/election-integrity/">White House</a> and reviewed by The Daily Wire, Swalwell told federal investigators that he had “physical relations” with Fang “on a handful of occasions” after meeting her in 2012.
Swalwell told investigators that the relationship was casual and that the two never dated or had a romantic relationship, but said he believed Fang was interested in pursuing a closer romantic relationship with him. Swalwell said that March of 2015 was the last time he had physical relations with Fang.
The revelation is significant because the precise nature of Swalwell’s relationship with Fang had remained disputed since her ties to the California Democrat were first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-chinese-spy-got-close-to-democrat-eric-swalwell-fbi-had-to-intervene">publicly exposed in 2020</a>.
At the time, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/12/08/china-spy-california-politicians">Axios reported</a> that Fang had cultivated extensive relationships with American politicians as part of what U.S. intelligence officials believed was a Chinese political intelligence operation. Fang participated in fundraising for Swalwell’s congressional campaign and helped place at least one intern in his congressional office.
Axios reported that Fang had sexual or romantic relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors but did not report that she had a sexual relationship with Swalwell.
Swalwell declined to answer questions about the nature of his relationship with Fang when the Axios story broke, instead saying that he had provided information about her to the FBI and would not discuss information that might be classified.
The newly released interview shows that federal investigators were aware of the sexual relationship by 2015 and that Swalwell himself had disclosed it during the FBI investigation.
The interview also provides additional details about Swalwell’s communications with Fang. He told investigators that the pair primarily communicated through text messages, but also spoke by phone and exchanged emails. Swalwell said he had used his personal Gmail account to communicate with Fang and had reviewed the account before his FBI interview, finding approximately five email exchanges that he offered to provide to investigators.
Swalwell also told investigators that he did not know the source of Fang’s money. He said he assumed Fang or her family was independently wealthy and had never discussed the sources of her income with her.
The files also contain secondhand accounts from people in Swalwell’s orbit describing Fang’s efforts to maintain access to him. One source told investigators that Swalwell’s then-chief of staff had said Fang appeared at Swalwell’s home unannounced on at least one occasion. The source also reportedly heard that Fang had appeared at Swalwell’s door and made it clear to him that she was not wearing underwear.
The FBI documents are dated May 2015, meaning the disclosures came while Swalwell’s relationship with Fang was either ongoing or had only recently ended. Swalwell told investigators that March 2015 was the last occasion on which he had physical relations with Fang.
That timing is particularly notable because federal investigators were becoming increasingly concerned about Fang’s activities around the same period. U.S. intelligence officials later provided Swalwell with a defensive briefing warning him about Fang, after which he said he cut ties with her. Fang left the United States in 2015 amid the investigation.
Fang had cultivated relationships with numerous rising politicians in California and elsewhere between roughly 2011 and 2015. U.S. intelligence officials believed she was operating on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security and gathering political intelligence by developing access to ambitious politicians.
Among her most important targets was Swalwell, who had been elected to Congress in 2012 and joined the House Intelligence Committee in 2015.
Fang’s access to Swalwell extended beyond their personal relationship. According to the FBI files and previous reporting, she was involved in fundraising for his 2014 reelection campaign and helped place an intern in his congressional office. Intelligence officials believed Fang was cultivating relationships with politicians who could eventually rise to positions of national importance.
Swalwell has never been charged with a crime in connection with Fang, and investigators did not accuse him of knowingly participating in a Chinese intelligence operation. The House Ethics Committee also <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4018047-house-ethics-concludes-swalwell-probe-into-link-to-chinese-spy-taking-no-action/">closed an investigation</a> into his ties to Fang without taking action.
In March, as Swalwell mounted his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-suspends-campaign-amid-sexual-assault-allegations">now-defunct campaign</a> for governor of California, his attorneys sent FBI Director Kash Patel a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/eric-swalwell-cease-desist-letter-fbi-kash-patel-suspected-chinese-spy-rcna266005">cease-and-desist letter</a> demanding that the bureau agree not to release investigative files concerning Fang. His lawyers argued that releasing the files would improperly damage Swalwell’s campaign and maintained that he had never been accused of wrongdoing.

Fang Fang

New FBI Files Blow Open Swalwell’s Long Running Fang Fang Mystery

China

Communist China

Espionage

Spying

U.S.

U.S. Politics

As my boss likes to <a href="https://x.com/bdomenech">say</a>, “You can tell a man&#8217;s vices by his friends,” and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a 46-year-old Democrat with his eye on 2028, has spent years surrounding himself with men whose scandals eventually caught up with them. So color us shocked that the man who looks like a predatory version of Gus from Cinderella may have one of his own waiting in the wings.
The now-married congressman admitted to having sexual relationships with two House staffers during his time in office amid a &#8220;pattern of mistakes and missteps and judgment calls,&#8221; a source told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/sen-ruben-gallego-had-sexual-relationships-with-two-house-aides-sources-reveal-to-the-post/">New York Post</a>. He also apparently has &#8220;very flirtatious&#8221; habits with others that &#8220;may come back to haunt him.&#8221; Sounds like more infractions may be hiding in his closet.
Could there have been signs that he may have felt inclined to use his position of power to coerce younger women into relationships with him? Any at all? The man is infamous for filing for divorce in late 2016, when his then-wife was heavily pregnant, weeks from giving birth. He&#8217;s currently under investigation for potentially misusing campaign funds on family travel, childcare, and Super Bowl tickets. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna&#8217;s office has passed sexual misconduct allegations against Gallego to Senate Majority Leader Thune&#8217;s staff. And he just about had a <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2044105376186986651/video/1">seizure</a> on camera when his very &#8220;best friend&#8221; in the House, Eric Swalwell, watched his own scandal detonate.
Nah. The power clearly hasn’t gone to his head. Just ask the Democratic operative who&#8217;s crossed paths with him: she told the Post she witnessed that “flirtatious nature after a couple of drinks,&#8221; and has &#8220;always steered clear.”
But the real story isn&#8217;t Gallego&#8217;s alleged conduct in isolation. It&#8217;s who he chose to stand next to while it was happening. Look at the men Gallego has called friends, endorsed, and defended, and a pattern starts to look less like a coincidence and more like a type. Democrats don&#8217;t seem to have a problem with credible allegations against their rising stars. They have a problem with those allegations becoming a liability at the ballot box. The women making the accusations don&#8217;t suddenly become believable. The candidate just becomes unwinnable. The support doesn&#8217;t disappear when the accusations surface. It disappears when the polling does.
Exhibit A: Eric Swalwell. Democrats went to the mat for him against allegations of sexual assault, right up until he started sliding in the polls. Then the party quietly dropped him; he left Congress, and his 2026 California gubernatorial bid died with barely a eulogy.
Gallego, for the record, was listed on Swalwell&#8217;s campaign site as his best friend. The two traveled together, shared a joint account, and yet Gallego insists he had no knowledge of his wingman’s alleged r*peyness. Sure.
If Swalwell was the pilot episode, Graham Platner was the highly unfortunate sequel. Gallego endorsed him too, the Senate candidate from Maine who nearly made it to November carrying sexual harassment allegations, a Nazi tattoo, an account on an app known for messaging underage girls, an affair within months of his own wedding, a Reddit confession about masturbating in porta-potties (bonus points for explicit wall décor), and a claim that he&#8217;d r*pe home invaders, but, you know, not in a gay way. None of it moved Gallego. Then, Platner&#8217;s numbers started slipping, and suddenly a Democratic voter&#8217;s r*pe allegation was worth taking seriously. He dropped out, still insisting it was all a lie.
Gallego had once <a href="https://x.com/RubenGallego/status/2028471098614890658">called</a> him the &#8220;kind of fighter Maine hasn&#8217;t seen in a long time,&#8221; until he couldn&#8217;t ignore that the fighting was actually happening in the bedroom, and women were on the losing end.
And don&#8217;t forget the third member of Gallego&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2045488277101084966">&#8220;cool kids&#8217; clique,&#8221;</a> Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), who was spotted making out with a Swalwell aide at a house party in 2023. Nobody blinked when he later admitted to cheating on his wife.
But that’s just what “cool kids” do, right, guys?
It&#8217;s rich, watching the men harping the <a href="https://x.com/mazemoore/status/2077870498457817544">loudest</a> about Jeffrey Epstein and those most devoted to &#8220;believing women&#8221; who then turn out to be the ones getting handsy the moment the lights dim in D.C. Apparently, belief is conditional. Ask any of them, and they&#8217;ll tell you they stand with survivors. Just don&#8217;t ask them to stand with one if she&#8217;s holding up their candidate&#8217;s poll numbers.
We will follow the facts, and right now, Gallego is nothing more than a hairy little dude with an eye contact problem and a prior affinity for younger, vulnerable staffers. But if his vices are in any way related to his friends, he might have a problem on his hands.

Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act

You Can Tell A Man’s Vices By His Friends

DW Opinion

graham platner

Ruben Gallego

Democratic Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner released a video denying the accusations of sexual misconduct, disturbing and abusive behavior, and even rape — but some quickly noticed that his speech sounded familiar.
When viewed side by side with a video from disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — who resigned after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and assault — it was so similar that it might easily have been scripted by the same person.
WATCH:
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/foGKdXSoSW7Z00sAjbvTtzuU5XbQBEeDA?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=87a702c7-4863-4e0d-9987-d2ffbd45e30a&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-07-08%20Swalwell%20Platner%20Similar%20Denials&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Ffc7c88c6-7364-4e88-8a3e-c8e37312b26b.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-sexual-assault-accusation-rocks-maine-democrat-graham-platner">Platner responded</a> after former girlfriend Jenny Racicot came forward, speaking with both Politico and CNN about the night she said Platner showed up at her home and forced himself on her.
&#8220;I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me,&#8221; Platner began, speaking directly to the camera. &#8220;Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.&#8221;
Platner then spoke of his constituents, saying that he&#8217;d been &#8220;deeply humbled&#8221; by the amount of faith they&#8217;d placed in him and thanking them for welcoming him into their lives throughout his campaign.
&#8220;So regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,&#8221; Platner said, adding, &#8220;As Maine goes, so goes the nation.&#8221;
Swalwell gave a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwell-wont-drop-out-despite-his-metoo-era-kavanaugh-demand">remarkably similar statement</a> in the wake of sexual misconduct and assault accusations just a few months earlier, also speaking directly to the camera.
&#8220;A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations,” Swalwell said at the time. “And I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly.”
“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false, they’re absolutely false,” he added. “They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have. They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California.”
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I’m a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past,” Swalwell continued. “But those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position. I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me. But I think you know who I am.”
Within days of releasing the video, Swalwell had dropped out of the California gubernatorial primary — which he was leading — and resigned from Congress.

SEE IT: Compare Swalwell, Platner’s Nearly Identical Denials

SEE IT: Compare Platner, Swalwell's Nearly Identical Denials

Rape

Sexual Assault

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) funded a trip to the Super Bowl with cash from a joint campaign account he shared with disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
According to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/21/gallego-campaign-donors-travel-00969326">report</a> from POLITICO, Gallego used campaign donations to fund a number of private excursions — including child care expenses and family trips to Disney World in addition to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, in 2023.
Gallego <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwells-bff-brings-back-infamous-biden-lackey-to-manage-crisis-response">recently hired</a> Andrew Bates, who served as deputy press secretary for former President Joe Biden, to manage crisis communications related to his long friendship with Swalwell as well as any interactions with the Senate Ethics Committee — interactions that may be coming sooner rather than later.
As POLITICO reported, Gallego&#8217;s campaign finance records reveal that he used money from his leadership PAC to pay for personal travel — trips to Disneyland and Disney World as well as to Chicago and Miami — and other personal and family expenses. At least once, the report claims, Gallego used campaign cash or money from his PAC to pay his mother-in-law $400 for child care — and since 2019, withdrew more than $18,000 for child care-related expenses.
Gallego, according to the outlet, appeared to concede that he had spent campaign funds on child care, saying in a statement, &#8220;This is not breaking news. With the rising costs of child care and the burden it has on the budgets of American families, Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House alike regularly travel with their wives and children, as is permitted by the FEC.&#8221;
The FEC does allow payments designated for child care, travel, and food — provided the events are campaign-related. Any expenses that would exist regardless of the campaign are not covered by those exemptions.
In addition to managing the questions likely to come from the Senate Ethics Committee regarding his spending habits, Gallego has worked to distance himself from Swalwell — his friend and former roommate — as he prepares for a potential presidential run in 2028.
Since the report also details the Super Bowl trip with Swalwell and his wife — paid for with funds from a joint campaign account that he and Swalwell shared — maintaining that distance may prove more difficult in the future.

Dem Senator Used Donor Cash From Joint Account With Bestie Eric Swalwell To Buy Super Bowl Tix

Swalwell's Bestie Used Donor Cash To Fund Disney Trips And Super Bowl Tix

campaign donation

campaign funds

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has brought in a veteran crisis communicator to handle public scrutiny over his ties to disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and any future dealings with the Senate Ethics Committee.
The communicator in question is Andrew Bates, who most recently handled crisis communications for former President Joe Biden as he weathered the final days of his ill-fated 2024 re-election campaign and the end of his term in the White House.
According to a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/09/democrats-ruben-gallego-eric-swalwell-biden-andrew-bates?utm_campaign=mrf-utm_campaign=editorial&amp;utm_source=x&amp;utm_medium=owned_social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;mrfcid=202606096a1d03c13e6f3e29b07150c1">report</a> published Tuesday by Axios, some in Gallego&#8217;s camp feel they&#8217;re being sidelined to make room for the Biden alum.
&#8220;Senator Gallego has been clear that he plans to help Democrats take the majority in 2026 and is weighing all options for his political future. He has brought on Andrew to help navigate those processes,&#8221; a spokesperson for Gallego told the outlet.
What Gallego&#8217;s team did not say was that the senator has been under increased scrutiny since several women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct and even rape against Swalwell. Gallego has repeatedly claimed that he had no knowledge of Swalwell&#8217;s alleged behavior — despite the fact that the former California congressman was a longtime close friend and former roommate.
An experienced crisis communicator may be necessary if Gallego is to survive the fallout — and Bates&#8217; work for the Biden White House certainly speaks to that.
When even the Democratic leaders in Congress — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), among others — were approaching the White House and calling for Biden to bow out of the 2024 race, Bates was telling reporters that it wasn&#8217;t going to happen.
&#8220;The president told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100-days agenda to help working families,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/us/politics/biden-election-drop-out.html">Bates said</a>, just a few days before Biden announced that he would not continue his presidential re-election campaign.
On July 18, Bates posted an ABC News article citing an unnamed White House official who declared Biden&#8217;s plan to remain in the race.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Flatly denied reports that the president is now more open to the idea of ending his campaign.
‘Anyone who has talked to Joe Biden in the last 24 hours can tell you that is not true,’ [said] the senior White House official, who has spoken to Biden today”<a href="https://t.co/oCbBCvfciW">https://t.co/oCbBCvfciW</a>
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewBatesNC/status/1814028972809683025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Keep the faith,&#8221; Bates posted on July 20 — along with an article about Biden&#8217;s plans to hit the campaign trail in the coming days.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Keep the faith.
“1 big thing: Biden digs in”
“Biden officials are telling Democratic critics that President Biden is eager to prove them wrong — and plans to hit the campaign trail once he recovers from COVID” <a href="https://t.co/fIrxXSsrXv">https://t.co/fIrxXSsrXv</a>
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewBatesNC/status/1814663860525097305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Just over 24 hours later, Biden would exit the race.
And by late February of 2025, Bates — who had defended Biden to the final hours of both his campaign and his presidency — was on MS NOW claiming that President Donald Trump might not have the &#8220;energy&#8221; to do the job well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://x.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a>: &#8220;Former Biden spokesperson suggests Trump might not have the &#8216;energy&#8217; to do the job, &#8216;desperate to show that he&#8217;s in charge'&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ML0U5uB91v">https://t.co/ML0U5uB91v</a>
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewBatesNC/status/1893730118528278608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Swalwell’s BFF Brings Back Infamous Biden Lackey To Manage Crisis Response

Swalwell's BFF Brings Back Infamous Biden Lackey To Manage Crisis Response

Joe Biden

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined the rest of the Democrats in skipping a Wednesday on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic — but he also took it a step further, walking by while the hearing was going on and appearing to mock it.
Not one of the Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security &amp; Governmental Affairs Committee — to include Gallego — attended the hearing, where CIA whistleblower James Erdman III testified that Dr. Anthony Fauci had intentionally worked to cover up information regarding the pandemic&#8217;s origins.
But while most Democrats on the committee stayed away from the hearing entirely, Fox News Congressional Correspondent Bill Melugin reported that Gallego — accompanied by at least one staffer — walked by while the hearing was still ongoing.
&#8220;Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who is on this committee, just walked by the hearing room and saw all the media cameras and said something along the lines of, &#8216;Wow, what’s going on here?&#8217; A staffer walking with him replied &#8216;I don’t know.&#8217; Unclear if they were trolling or not,&#8221; Melugin said in an <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2054574539611205713">X post</a>.
He later relayed the story to Fox News host Harris Faulkner, saying, &#8220;Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat from Arizona, actually walked by us about 15 minutes ago. He saw the media cameras here, and we couldn’t tell if he was joking or trolling or not, but he said, &#8216;Hey, what’s going on here?&#8217; And his staffer said, &#8216;I don’t know,&#8217; and they walked past us. He is on that committee. He’s not in the room.&#8221;
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Fox’s Bill Melugin just exposed the stunning no-show by Senate Democrats at the CIA whistleblower hearing on Covid.
Not a SINGLE Democrat was in the room — even though several sit on the Homeland Security Committee.
MELUGIN: “There are no Senate Democrats inside of that hearing… <a href="https://t.co/dERE0QpHWY">pic.twitter.com/dERE0QpHWY</a>
— Overton (@overton_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/overton_news/status/2054587401851343065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Gallego has been under increased scrutiny of late because of his close ties to disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — who resigned after several accusations of sexual misconduct, harassment, and even rape — and has claimed that the former California congressman had succeeded in hiding his &#8220;double life&#8221; even when the two were roommates.
At the hearing Gallego and the other Democrats missed, Erdman laid out the complex web of experts — most of whom were previously linked to Fauci — who had worked to control what information was eventually revealed to the American people.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) called out the federal agencies that had a part in handling the information, saying they had essentially given &#8220;the big middle finger&#8221; to the American people by not being more transparent at the time.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="COVID whistleblower blows lid off Fauci coverup, ‘middle finger’ to Americans" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9gbBySuT4xs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Swalwell’s Best Buddy Didn’t Just Skip The COVID Hearing, He’s Accused Of Mocking It

Swalwell's Best Buddy Didn't Just Skip The COVID Hearing, He Mocked It

Anthony Fauci

COVID-19

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) renewed her attacks on former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), accusing the disgraced California Democrat of continuing behavior she said mirrors that of “an alleged predator” after reports emerged that Swalwell is still messaging women connected to the allegations against him through Snapchat.
Speaking with Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany, Mace reacted to a recent report revealing Swalwell contacted a former intern on Snapchat as recently as this week.“It’s traumatic,” Mace said. “This is very typical behavior of an alleged predator continuing to harass and prey upon their own victims.”
Mace, who has frequently spoken publicly about being a survivor of sexual assault herself, said she has spent years working alongside abuse survivors and argued the continued outreach described in reports reflects familiar patterns of manipulation and intimidation. “I’ve seen it in my own life. I’ve seen it in victims that I’ve been working with,” she said. “A lot of times women — and men too — are attacked and blamed, and that’s what I feel is happening when I read those messages.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Rep. Nancy Mace says America&#8217;s culture on dealing with predators MUST change—and it starts at the top:
Kayleigh McEnany: &#8220;This behavior of Eric Swalwell, that he says these messages are routine and then yet he&#8217;s still messaging these women at 1:57am saying it&#8217;s about… <a href="https://t.co/vAoRCGNERs">pic.twitter.com/vAoRCGNERs</a>
— Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jules31415/status/2053203059803591132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
The comments came after a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/us/eric-swalwell-social-media.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fVA.r66S.i6XObba2CjDA&amp;smid=url-share">report</a> detailing Swalwell’s continued use of Snapchat, the same disappearing-message platform central to multiple misconduct allegations that surfaced earlier this year and ultimately ended his California gubernatorial campaign.
According to the report, Swalwell recently messaged a former intern through the app asking why she had screenshotted their chat history. While the reported messages were not sexual in nature, critics argued the contact itself raised further questions given the broader allegations surrounding the former congressman.
At least six women have publicly or anonymously accused Swalwell of misconduct ranging from inappropriate workplace behavior and explicit communications to allegations of sexual assault and non-consensual encounters. Several accusations specifically involve Snapchat exchanges that allegedly included explicit messages and photographs.
One former staffer alleged that while working closely with Swalwell as a 21-year-old aide, the congressman gradually shifted professional communication into private Snapchat conversations that became sexual in nature. Other women have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraced-dem-eric-swalwells-brazilian-nanny-has-entered-the-chat">alleged</a> unsolicited explicit images, coercive dynamics tied to professional relationships, and hotel encounters involving alcohol and unwanted advances.
Swalwell has denied all allegations and has not been charged criminally in connection with any of the claims, though he is under investigation. Mace argued public officials accused of abusing positions of power should face severe consequences if allegations are substantiated.
“If you are in a position of power, if you are a powerful politician, you must be removed from office,” Mace said. “That’s the only way we’re going to change the culture in this country — by starting at the top.”
Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign in April following the publication of reports by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle detailing allegations from multiple women. He is also reportedly facing investigations tied to separate allegations in both California and New York.
The controversy has continued to follow Swalwell months after the collapse of his campaign and resignation from congress with critics increasingly focusing not only on the allegations themselves, but on his continued use of disappearing-message platforms to communicate privately with women connected to the accusations.

Democratic Reps. Schiff, Swalwell, And Omar Discuss Committee Assignments

Disgraced Swalwell Torched Over Latest Creepy Behavior

Sexual Harassment

Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego partied late into the night at a Bogotá nightclub during an official trip to Colombia last year despite warnings that his life was in danger, according to a new report. 
Citing sources familiar with the August 2025 <a href="https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-senator-gallego-travels-to-colombia-on-congressional-delegation-trip/">trip</a>, Gallego, a close friend of disgraced ex-Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA), was informed of a credible threat to his life while attending a dinner with U.S. Embassy officials, NOTUS <a href="https://www.notus.org/senate/ruben-gallego-colombia-trip-embassy-threat">reported</a>. The outlet said the embassy employees advised him not to leave the embassy compound, but Gallego later went out to a club in Bogotá, where he remained until approximately 3:00 am.
The report also states that Gallego invited multiple U.S. Embassy personnel to join him at the nightclub. At least one female staffer was among those invited, according to NOTUS.
In a statement, a spokesman for Gallego disputed the report&#8217;s description of the evening, saying the senator “coordinated closely with embassy security throughout the trip, including on the evening in question, and followed all security guidance.” 
“While at dinner at the conclusion of a successful congressional delegation trip, the Senator and his Chief of Staff invited Embassy staff to join them, a common way to recognize the work of those who support these visits,” the spokesman said. “As one of the first Colombian-American Senators elected to Congress, Senator Gallego was proud of the work done in Colombia and looks forward to continuing efforts to strengthen U.S. ties in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Gallego’s trip focused on discussions with Colombian officials about “organized crime, the business climate, and China’s growing influence,” according to his office. 
The Arizona Democrat has come under increasing scrutiny due to his ties to Swalwell, who resigned from Congress after being accused of sexual assault and misconduct. Gallego, who once <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-lawmakers-pose-shirtless-while-riding-camels-on-qatar-trip-bought-by-special-interest-group-report">rode camels</a> shirtless in Qatar with Swalwell, initially defended his friendship before accusing him of living a double life. 
“I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting and I take it seriously,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwells-dem-buddies-flee-like-rats-after-sexual-assault-allegation">said</a>. “What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed.”

Swalwell’s Best Buddy In Congress Partied Hard In Colombia On Work Trip

Arizona

Colombia

Senate

Billionaire and California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer just won the endorsement of Our Revolution, a political action group backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which routinely voices opposition to the existence of billionaires.
The group addressed the irony of the endorsement head on, acknowledging Steyer’s billionaire status in a press release, adding that ”it matters what he is doing with that power: pushing for taxes on the wealthy, expanding universal programs, and dismantling corporate influence in our politics.”
“Tom Steyer understands that California’s affordability crisis is not inevitable — it’s the result of a political system shaped by concentrated wealth and corporate power at the expense of working people,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese said in a statement.
“At a moment when too many defend the status quo, Tom has taken a different path — challenging the very system that benefits people like him,” he added. An X post from the organization pointed out that this is the first time they have endorsed a billionaire for public office.
Steyer said that he’s “honored” to get the endorsement and said that “as Governor, [he’ll] work tirelessly to realize our shared vision of a California that works for working people.”
The group’s <a href="https://ourrevolution.com/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> openly touts efforts to “Defund Oligarchy” and its goal to “eliminate in the influence of corporations, billionaires and consultants in our political process.”
Steyer, a climate activist who built his wealth from creating the hedge fund Farallon Capital, has a net worth of $2.4 billion, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/thomas-steyer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes</a>. He has spent tens of millions dominating the airwaves in the Golden State, and he took similar actions when he unsuccessfully sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
However, the endorsement comes as some data indicated he is the top polling Democrat in the upcoming top-two primary race on June 2, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/general/2026/california/open_primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolling</a>.
Eric Swalwell (D-CA) dropped out of the governor’s race and resigned from Congress after several sexual misconduct allegations, which shook up the contest since he had previously been considered the Democrats’ best shot.
The field of Democrats still remains wide open, however, with Steyer up going up against former Rep. Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, among others.
Former California State Controller Betty Yee dropped out of the race on Monday, as she was polling poorly. Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to endorse a successor.
Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco are still having a strong showing in polling data, however, indicating the slight possibility of a Republican lockout in the primary. The top two candidates in California&#8217;s &#8220;jungle primary,&#8221; regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November.

New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Holds Election Rally With Bernie Sanders And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Bernie Sanders-Backed Group Hates Billionaires. They Just Endorsed One In Messy Governor’s Race.

Bernie Sanders

Tom Steyer

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher joined in the wave of renewed scrutiny around former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who he described as a &#8220;f*cking creep&#8221; — which has prompted fresh debate in Washington over how long allegations and rumors can circulate inside political and media circles before ever becoming public.
Swalwell, once a prominent Democratic figure and frequent cable news guest during the Trump era, saw his political career collapse in a matter of days earlier this month after a series of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced publicly, including claims of rape and sexual assault. He has since suspended his California gubernatorial campaign, resigned from Congress, and acknowledged “mistakes” while denying the more serious accusations.
The speed of that fall has only intensified questions about what was known, and when. That surfaced again on Saturday when Bill Maher <a href="https://x.com/Ltrs_Frm_Across/status/2045538507238543768">addressed the situation on air</a>, describing what he said was a long-standing perception of Swalwell that never made it into mainstream reporting until recently.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💥NEW: Bill Maher on Eric Swalwell: &#8220;We had him on a couple of times. Ask my staff: I never liked him. I don’t have good gaydar — but I got creepdar. I always thought this guy was a f*cking creep. I never liked him.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/QCMWJoU0hw">pic.twitter.com/QCMWJoU0hw</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2045491220541997305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Speaking of creepy stuff, have you been following the Eric Swalwell case here in California?” Maher said. “I got to say, we had him on a couple of times. Ask my staff. I never liked him. I don’t have good gaydar, but I got creepdar. I always thought this guy was a f*cking creep.”
Maher then broadened the point beyond Swalwell himself, arguing that similar patterns have played out repeatedly in American politics.
“I hear this so many times,” he said, pointing to figures like Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein. “You know, it was an open secret in Arkansas. It was an open secret,” he said of Clinton-era allegations, drawing a comparison to other long-circulating claims that only later became public scandals.
“What is going on here, where it takes so long for the open secret to become public?” Maher asked. “I seem to remember that back in the old days … when JFK was President, we heard, well, the media used to protect politicians, and they knew what JFK was doing, but it was just something they didn’t report on. Is it any different now? Apparently not.”
The reference to John F. Kennedy underscored Maher’s broader argument: that media institutions, while more expansive today, still exercise selective judgment over what becomes public and when. Those comments come as new reporting and commentary continue to surface suggesting that concerns about Swalwell’s conduct were known inside political and media circles.
Former Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo warned in a <a href="https://x.com/mikehtrujillo/status/2043523203147178217">now-deleted post</a> that Swalwell’s past behavior would eventually surface during his gubernatorial run, referencing allegations involving interns and inappropriate conduct. Trujillo later said he removed the post after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Swalwell’s campaign.
Separately, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/influencers-allegations-eric-swalwell-00869517?user_id=679d0ffd415ba72c220d02ff">reported</a> that Swalwell had “developed a reputation for unsavory and sometimes unwanted behavior toward women,” citing what it described as longstanding “whisper networks” among political insiders that rarely extended into public reporting.
The result is a familiar pattern in which reputational information circulates informally inside elite political and media environments but remains unreported until it becomes politically unavoidable.
That dynamic is now drawing renewed attention as Swalwell’s career unravels in real time, with questions mounting not only about the allegations themselves, but about why they took so long to surface publicly in a sustained way. And as that debate continues to grow, one question is increasingly hanging over the story: if everyone in Washington and California knew, why didn&#8217;t anyone say anything sooner?

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers

Watch Bill Maher Trash Eric Swalwell: ‘F*cking Creep’

Bill Maher Trashes 'F*cking Creep' Eric Swalwell, Says He's Proof That Media Protects Politicians

Bill Maher

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