Investigation into Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Expenses

Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democratic candidate for governor in California, is currently facing scrutiny from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The investigation centers around allegations that he charged his campaign for expenses related to his child’s nanny, which raises concerns regarding potential personal use of campaign funds.

Independent journalist Joel Gilbert, who initiated the complaint, noted that the FEC has acknowledged that it is reviewing the situation.

“I filed a complaint and was told it would be handled through a standard process,” Gilbert mentioned. “This matter will be assigned to FEC attorneys, who will investigate it. They will issue a ruling online in a few months, and we won’t hear from them until then.”

Gilbert also emphasized that the FEC has expressed its intention to further examine Swalwell’s campaign practices.

According to FEC guidelines, campaign funds can only cover childcare expenses directly linked to campaign activities and cannot be utilized for personal purposes. The agency defines personal use as any costs that arise “regardless of a candidate’s campaign or personal duties as a federal employee.”

Gilbert argues that the regularity of Swalwell’s childcare charges suggests they may not be tied to specific campaign events as required by the FEC.

“I found out through his campaign disclosures that he charges for childcare weekly throughout the year,” Gilbert stated. “It’s categorized as ‘campaign child care,’ but there’s no actual campaign work for the vast majority of those weeks. This raises serious concerns about FEC compliance.”

He added that Swalwell’s campaign has reportedly spent over $300,000 on childcare billed to donors from 2021 to 2025. Specifically, campaign records indicate he received $57,132.43 in reimbursements for childcare in just 2025, including $40,439.83 for a nanny and other costs related to childcare services.

Given Swalwell’s background as a trained lawyer and his previous inquiries to the FEC regarding childcare charges, Gilbert asserts that it’s improbable these expenses stem from a simple misinterpretation of campaign finance regulations.

“The FEC clarified that one can only charge a campaign for childcare directly associated with a campaign event,” Gilbert remarked. “This suggests a significant misuse of donor resources and a clear breach of FEC rules.”

For those interested, there’s more to explore in an upcoming interview with Joel Gilbert during the weekly briefing with John Hynes this Saturday and Sunday.