The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had evidence former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was compromised by concubine and alleged Chinese spy Fang Fang, who seems to have run an operation selling access to Swalwell and congressional internships for illegal campaign contributions, according to newly declassified documents.
The documents related to the probe called “Freshman Fifteen” were released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force. They show the FBI believed Swalwell had been compromised through sexual relations with Fang, a Chinese national, who placed foreign interns in his office and procured illicit donations. The FBI was simultaneously trying to turn Fang into an informant.
“Investigation has revealed that Fang Fang, a Chinese foreign national residing in the United States, is the facilitator of a scheme to trade internships in Congressman Eric Swalwell’s Congressional office in return for campaign contributions, potentially in violation of Title 18 USC 201,” an FBI memo states. “In at least two cases, Fang used conduits to conceal herself as a prohibited Foreign National source,” meaning she found U.S. nationals to make the donations on her behalf.
Fang reportedly asked contributors directly for donations and “promised” to reimburse them in some way, and the FBI noted that she “understood it was illegal” for her to contribute, but that she said she was “good at convincing other people to contribute.”
“[Fang] advised this may be a good way to create influence with Swalwell,” according to declassified documents.
Swalwell also admitted to the FBI in 2015 that he had a sexual relationship with Fang, and said in a 2016 interview with the FBI that he thought anyone Fang suggested for an internship was from the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Associations, which represented a key demographic for Swalwell. “A significant portion of SWALWELL’s constituents are Chinese American and diversity is important,” the documents state.
According to the documents, Swalwell may have been compromised from the very beginning of his congressional career, meeting Fang in 2012 during his first campaign for the House. He started having “physical relations” with her, “but never dated her or had a romantic relationship. March 2015 was the last time Swalwell had physical relations with Fang. Swalwell considered their physical relations to be casual, but believed that Fang was interested in a closer, romantic relationship.”
Prior to Freshman Fifteen undercover operation, the FBI attempted to recruit Fang as an informant on Chinese attempts to conduct influence operations on public officials. According to FBI memos on “Rusty Thumbs” (Fang’s FBI codename), she would not talk in much detail about China, but spoke openly about her operation to get donations to Swalwell’s campaign.
However, she was known by the FBI to have connections to Chinese intelligence operators, which is why she was targeted by the FBI in the first place, according to the documents.
“Given [Rusty Thumb’s (RT)] apparent connections with [China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS)] personnel and the PRC government, coupled with her continuing contact with U.S. and local government officials, RT may be able to report on MSS influence campaigns directed at the U.S. government,” one document reads.
The FBI initially intended to investigate Swalwell for bribery based on selling internship placements for campaign contributions, and stated the purpose was to “obtain sufficient evidence to indict and arrest Swalwell and Fang for violations of campaign finance laws and quid pro quo exchanges.” Instead of maintaining the investigation into Swalwell, the FBI decided to narrow the investigation solely to Fang in February 2017.
Fang’s home was raided by the FBI in 2015, a Chinese national who volunteered for Swalwell’s campaign said in an interview with the bureau.
According to one winery owner who had financially assisted Fang with leases on a car and apartment, Fang offered to pay him back if he donated to Swalwell’s campaign. In May 2015 she told him she was going back to China and that the FBI had questioned her about the alleged donation operation. Fang also allegedly admitted to the winery owner that “her parents used to work for the Chinese government in a department akin to the US Secret Service.”
The FBI closed the investigation in 2017, noting it had discovered evidence Fang had broken multiple laws and had engaged in international money smuggling, acted as an unregistered foreign agent, made prohibited contributions in the name of another, and more. Fang reportedly left the country sometime in 2015, and the State Department banned Fang from returning to the U.S.
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