The FBI raided a Beverly Hills mansion Tuesday tied to the expanding federal criminal investigation into former Rep. Eric Swalwell — the same congressman who was already compromised by a Chinese intelligence asset and who now faces allegations from at least six women of sexual misconduct, including rape.
This is what protected power looks like when the shield finally cracks. Swalwell enjoyed years of institutional cover — from his perch on the Intelligence Committee to his gubernatorial ambitions — while allegations mounted. Now the feds are kicking down doors in Beverly Hills.
The raid targeted the home of billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, according to the New York Post, who poured over $1 million into Swalwell's California gubernatorial campaign, gave the maximum $39,200 direct contribution, and even provided a $31,000 private trip to France in 2024. Swalwell frequently lived at Cloobeck's mansion and filmed a video responding to misconduct allegations from inside the home. A source told the Post the raid is linked to a sex worker.
Cloobeck distanced himself once the allegations went public. "I am no longer associated with a man that takes advantage of women," he told the Post. "I support women's rights." Convenient timing for a man who bankrolled Swalwell's rise and shared his home with him.
The FBI investigation has been building for months. In August, agents surrounded Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport and seized his cellphone and laptop. The next day, they executed warrants at his Washington, D.C. residence. The warrant cited a federal civil-rights statute used to prosecute public officials who abuse their government power — suggesting the feds suspect Swalwell used his official role to silence his accusers.
The allegations are staggering. A former staffer accused Swalwell of raping her when she was too intoxicated to consent, the Post reported, citing the San Francisco Chronicle. Another woman says he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2018. Two others allege he sent unsolicited explicit photos. At least six women have come forward total, according to the Daily Caller. Swalwell denied all wrongdoing — then dropped his gubernatorial bid and resigned from Congress.
Multiple prosecutors are investigating, including the Manhattan District Attorney and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Daily Caller reported. The House Ethics Committee was also probing Swalwell before he resigned.
Cloobeck carries his own baggage. He was charged with three felony counts of attempting to dissuade a witness or victim from testifying and one misdemeanor count of making annoying phone calls — all tied to his ex-partner's criminal case, in which she's accused of using dating apps to steal from wealthy older men.
This is the same Eric Swalwell who was previously entangled with Chinese spy Christine Fang, who targeted up-and-coming politicians and reportedly placed an intern in his office. He kept his Intelligence Committee seat anyway. The question now: will the same institutional protection that shielded him from the Fang Fang fallout extend to allegations of sexual predation — and how deep does the billionaire network that funded his rise really go?
