By Jack Phillips
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) filed a resolution Thursday to remove Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the House Intelligence Committee following reports that he may have been compromised by a Chinese Communist Party spy.
“Swalwell engaged in a years-long relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, and his conduct makes clear he has no place serving on the committee in charge of America’s top secrets,” said McCarthy, referring to allegations that he was involved in a relationship with a woman—known as Fang Fang—accused of spying for the CCP.
McCarthy told Punchbowl media that “if an individual could not get a clearance in the private sector, they shouldn’t be on Intel,” referring to the House Intelligence Committee. Previously, he called on Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to remove Swalwell from the committee.
Last year, Axios reported that Fang helped in fundraising efforts for Swalwell, whose district encompasses part of California’s Bay Area, during his 2014 campaign. Fang ultimately left the United States in 2015 following a federal investigation.
And, according to the report, Fang also allegedly targeted other Democrats in California. It was also reported that at the time of the Axios article, Swalwell’s family members were still Facebook friends with Fang.
“Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person—whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn’t seen in nearly six years—to the FBI. To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story,” Swalwell’s office told Axios in December.
But the resolution from McCarthy declared that Swalwell “has not denied public reporting that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative helped raise money for Representative Swalwell’s political campaigns” and “other troublesome elements of public reporting.”
Swalwell said Thursday that McCarthy’s resolution was a bid to “deflect” from McCarthy’s “support for QAnon.” McCarthy has repeatedly denounced the QAnon movement.
“Meet the New McCarthyism,” Swalwell also wrote. “Multiple sentences in resolution state ‘Swalwell has not denied…’ Yet fails to include multiple FBI statements of ‘no wrongdoing’ and did nothing but ‘cooperate.’”
Officials have not charged Swalwell with any wrongdoing, while he previously said he is no longer in contact with her.
When Pelosi was asked about removing Swalwell in December, she said, “I don’t have any concerns about Mr. Swalwell … In terms of Mr. Swalwell, in the spring of 2015, the leadership of the House and the committee were informed that overtures from a Chinese person were being made to members of Congress. When that was made known to the members of Congress it was over.”
