Eric Swalwell investigation: Federal agents search Beverly Hills mansion linked to ex-representative

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law enforcement agents searched a Beverly Hills home early Tuesday as part of an investigation into Eric Swalwellwho resigned from Congress amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Agents searched the home of wealthy Swalwell developer and donor Stephen Cloobeck, where the former congressman spent time before resigning from office in April, according to the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.

Swalwell, Democrat of California, has denied any criminal wrongdoing.

Messages seeking comment were left with Swalwell’s attorney and an attorney who represented Cloobeck in another case.

Cloobeck, who founded timeshare company Diamond Resorts International and ran for California governor last year, has contributed more than $23,000 to Swalwell’s congressional campaigns since 2017, according to federal campaign finance records.

He told the New York Post in April that he had severed ties with Swalwell as accusations against him mounted.

“I am no longer associated with a man who takes advantage of women,” Cloobeck told the newspaper. “I support women’s rights.”

In May, Cloobeck was charged with witnessing bullying in an unrelated matter. He pleaded not guilty. In August, online prediction platform Kalshi temporarily banned him after it said he had purchased $10,000 worth of contracts as part of his short-lived gubernatorial bid.

Tuesday’s search is the latest escalation in the federal investigation into Swalwell – one of several opened after a woman came forward with allegations that he sexually assaulted her twice, including while she worked for him.

The San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN, was the first to report the allegations. CNN also reported that three other women alleged various types of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

At the same time, another woman made allegations that Swalwell raped her at a Southern California hotel in 2018. She said she had a glass of wine and believes Swalwell drugged her. She said she plans to make a report to law enforcement.

Asked about the search at Cloobeck’s address, FBI spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho said: “Early this morning, the FBI conducted an operation in the Los Angeles area related to an ongoing criminal investigation. We have no further comment.”

In August, federal agents electronic devices seized from Swalwell to the San Francisco airport and searched his home in Washington.

Swalwell, an Iowa native, was elected in 2012 and represented a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential race in April 2019, but ended it a few months later after failing to convince voters.

The seven-term lawmaker was considered a leading candidate in California’s election. gubernatorial race before giving up after the allegations surfaced.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said it was also investigating Swalwell after a former staffer told CNN and the Chronicle that Swalwell raped her in a hotel while he was in New York for a charity gala in 2024.

In a statement, Bragg’s office encouraged “survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division.”

Los Angeles prosecutors are also reportedly evaluating the charges.

Swalwell was one of Republican President Donald Trump’s primary Democratic opponents in Congress. He was a senior member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees during Trump’s first term and was one of several Democratic prosecutors for Trump’s second impeachment after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Swalwell was removed from the Intelligence Committee by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2023 based on Swalwell’s contact with an alleged Chinese spy, Christine Fang.

Fang was reportedly in contact with Swalwell’s campaign when he was first running for Congress in 2012 and was involved in fundraising for his 2014 campaign.

Federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns and told Congress about Fang in 2015, at which point Swalwell says he cut off all contact with her. He was not accused of wrongdoing, and a House Ethics Committee investigation opened in 2021 ended two years later with no action taken.