Swalwell’s Gubernatorial Bid Faces Serious Challenges
Rep. Eric Swalwell’s attempt to become California’s next governor hit another snag recently. Over the weekend, he was charged with multiple violations related to immigration and employment laws. This includes allegations that he employed a live-in nanny without a work permit and even made campaign contributions while doing so.
Complaints against him were filed with the Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security, according to a report from the New York Post.
One complaint, submitted to the Labor Department, claims that Swalwell and his wife misled their babysitter, Amanda Barbosa, in order to retain her employment. In a separate complaint to DHS, a California activist filmmaker accused him of using campaign funds to pay a nanny for around two years, despite her lack of valid work authorization.
The DHS complaint noted that Barbosa was featured in various social media posts with the Swalwell family during 2023 and 2024, suggesting a close bond and ongoing child care duties, even without legal permission to work.
Swalwell denied these claims, which surfaced shortly after previous allegations of sexual misconduct against him emerged, leading to increased pressure for him to withdraw from the gubernatorial race.
Reports indicate that Swalwell first hired Barbosa, who arrived in the U.S. from Brazil on an au pair visa in 2021. She was compensated with nearly $50,000 in campaign contributions spanning 2021 and 2022, as per the Federal Election Commission data.
In December 2022, he began the process to sponsor Barbosa for a green card since her visa was about to expire, based on labor certification documents. Barbosa later enrolled in community college, but her student visa restrictions barred her from off-campus work.
However, social media photos from that time show her engaging with Swalwell’s children at family gatherings, raising questions about her legal employment status. The Post reported that these pictures depicted her caring for the children at various events, including one in 2023 at the White House picnic.
Furthermore, FEC records show that Swalwell wrote off over $52,000 in campaign expenses labeled as “childcare.” The complaint suggests that he used these payments as a means to keep Barbosa’s employment off the books, while she was unauthorized to work.
Eventually, the Labor Department approved the labor certification in 2024. It appears that by 2025, Barbosa was officially employed again, receiving nearly $39,000 in campaign contributions from Swalwell, also noted in FEC data.
Gilbert, the filmmaker who filed the complaint, indicated that Swalwell is already under investigation by the FEC for misusing campaign funds exceeding $200,000 for personal babysitting services, as stated in a previous complaint.
This situation unfolds as Swalwell grapples with multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from several women, including claims from a former staffer who accused him of rape while intoxicated in 2024.
Despite these serious allegations, Swalwell has consistently denied them. He claimed via social media that these accusations are entirely false and emphasized his intention to fight back.
Additionally, the U.S. District Attorney in Manhattan has announced an investigation into the sexual assault claim involving a former employee allegedly too impaired to give consent. The atmosphere surrounding Swalwell’s campaign continues to shift as more challenges arise.
