Swalwell Questions Campaign’s Payment Discrepancies
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), known for his outspoken criticisms of former President Donald Trump, is drawing attention to what he perceives as “strange inconsistencies” in his campaign’s Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. These documents reveal over $360,000 in payments to Haitian-American staff, attributed to various reasons.
The FEC records, covering filings from 2021 to recent months, highlight more than 75 payments to an individual named Darlie Meyer. These payments range significantly, with individual amounts from $53 to upwards of $12,000. In the previous year alone, Meyer received over $120,000 across more than 27 transactions, and he’s projected to earn a similar sum next year.
The reasons listed for these payments include travel expenses, auto services, salary, and even reimbursements for personal travel and event flowers.
Questionable Campaign Contributions
Meyer is more than just a staffer; he also operates a limousine service, CYD Global Car Service, based in North Hollywood. The company markets itself as a provider of luxury travel, offering a range of services, including corporate shuttles.
Interestingly, Meyer is an administrator for a Facebook group called “CaliHaitians,” which aims to foster a “progressive community” for Haitians in the U.S. with over 3,000 members. The group promotes collaboration with other organizations that can provide professional services to help the community.
Swalwell’s campaign was approached for clarification regarding the various payment classifications but provided no specific answers, emphasizing only that “Darlie protects me and my family.” In a follow-up, Swalwell addressed a question regarding his $350,000 security spending with an ambiguous response about possibly sending the inquiry to the reporter. Meanwhile, records from the California Bureau of Security Investigations indicate Meyer lacks a security license.
When contacted for comments on these payments, Meyer chose to remain silent.
Previous Scrutiny Over Campaign Expenditures
This isn’t the first occasion that Swalwell has faced criticism over campaign finances. His past FEC filings reveal considerable expenditures on luxurious services, dining, and hotels in high-profile cities like Dubai, Paris, and London. Notably, his campaign spent nearly $17,000 in 2023 on fundraising costs associated with Just Dreaming Yacht Charters, known for offering private yacht experiences.
Swalwell’s recent filings also disclosed multiple payments at opulent hotels, including three transactions of about $1,700 at the renowned Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. The campaign reported almost $90,000 in travel expenses in just the last quarter of 2023, with spending at upscale hotels like 1 Hotel San Francisco and Times Square Edition concentrated in New York. His 2022 records also indicate substantial travel spending of close to $60,000 over a brief period.
Hans von Spakovsky, a former FEC commissioner, remarked that the discrepancies in Swalwell’s filings warrant investigation by the agency’s audit department to determine the legitimacy of these payments.
