Federal agents reportedly confronted former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend and seized several of his electronic devices as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
According to a Thursday report from the Daily Mail, agents met Swalwell after he arrived in San Francisco on Saturday. They were said to be carrying a search warrant authorizing them to take multiple electronic devices, including his cellphone.
The Mail, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported that the phone and other devices were being sought in connection with a federal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the former Democratic congressman.
Swalwell reportedly cooperated with agents during the encounter.
The investigation did not end at the airport. According to the same report, federal agents had obtained additional court-approved warrants allowing them to search Swalwell’s residence in Washington, D.C.
Agents carried out that search on Sunday, one day after the airport encounter. Neither Swalwell nor his wife, Brittany Watts, was reportedly at the home when agents arrived at the Northeast Washington property.
The search ended with investigators removing several undisclosed items they considered potentially relevant evidence, according to the Mail.
Swalwell had reportedly begun Saturday in Washington before traveling to California. Federal agents were waiting for him when he landed in San Francisco.
The reported searches come amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell. At least four women have publicly accused him of misconduct, according to the report.
One former staffer has accused Swalwell of raping her on two occasions, alleging that she was too intoxicated to consent. Another woman has alleged that he drugged and raped her in 2018.
Two additional women have accused Swalwell of sending them unsolicited explicit photographs.
Swalwell has denied the sexual assault allegations.
The Department of Justice reportedly opened a federal investigation into the accusations in April. Separate inquiries have also reportedly involved the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
While denying the assault allegations, Swalwell previously apologized to his wife for what he described as mistakes and poor judgment. Politico reported in April that he said he intended to fight the allegations while acknowledging that some of his behavior had hurt his family.
The controversy ultimately brought an end to Swalwell’s campaign for governor of California. Before the allegations became a major issue in the race, he had been viewed as a potentially strong contender in the contest to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Swalwell served in Congress for years before launching his gubernatorial campaign and had remained a prominent figure in Democratic politics.
The Daily Mail also reported that the latest federal searches were unrelated to an older controversy involving Swalwell’s past association with Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, a woman suspected by U.S. intelligence officials of acting on behalf of China.
That episode had generated considerable political attention years earlier, particularly because Fang had developed relationships with several American political figures. Swalwell has said he cooperated with federal authorities after being informed of concerns about her.
No criminal charges were identified in the report, and the execution of a search warrant does not by itself establish that a crime occurred.