Washington– Lawyers for Rep. Eric Swalwell FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday demanded an immediate end to any effort to release records from the 10-year-old. The investigation involving the California Democrat and a suspected Chinese agent that did not result in criminal charges.
The lawyers’ cease-and-desist letter advises Patel that he would be violating federal law and long-standing Justice Department policy if he went ahead with releasing records from the FBI’s investigative file. It is seeking a response from Patel within three days confirming that it will comply with the request, and warning that any further effort to publish the files will result in legal action.
“The Congressman has never been accused of any wrongdoing in this matter, and your attempt to release the dossier is a clear attempt to discredit him and undermine his campaign for governor of California,” the cease-and-desist letter from Swalwell’s lawyers, Sean Hecker and Norm Eisen, said. “Your actions threaten to expose you, others at the FBI, and the FBI itself to significant legal liability. In fact, disclosing the investigative file would violate federal law in several respects.”
The Washington Post first reported that Patel ordered agents to review and redact investigative files in preparation for their release even though it is highly unusual for the Justice Department to publicly disclose records of criminal investigations that do not lead to charges. An FBI spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment from The Associated Press on Monday, but previously told the newspaper that the FBI “is preparing documents for many different reasons.”
The investigation concerns interactions Swalwell had with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence agent who reportedly had ties to the United States, was in contact with Swalwell’s campaign when he was first running for Congress in 2012 and participated in a fundraiser for his campaign in 2014.
Federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns and briefed Congress about Fang in 2015, at which point Swalwell said he cut off contact with her. He has not been accused of wrongdoing and the House Ethics Committee investigation opened in 2021 was closed after two years without any action.
Swalwell, who is running for governor of California, is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump He served as one of the house managers In the second of Trump’s two impeachments during the Republican Party’s first term. He has also clashed publicly with Patelwho named Swalwell and dozens of Trump’s perceived opponents in a book he wrote in 2023 called “Gangs of Government.”