FBI Raids Beverly Hills Mansion Linked to Swalwell Investigation
Early Tuesday, the FBI conducted a raid on the $25 million mansion of Stephen Cloobeck in Beverly Hills. Reports suggest that this operation is connected to the ongoing inquiries surrounding former U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who has faced serious allegations recently.
Cloobeck and Swalwell were once quite close, with Cloobeck even calling Swalwell his “little brother.” However, their relationship soured dramatically after Swalwell was accused of rape, sexual assault, and various other misconducts by multiple women in April. This scandal not only forced Swalwell, who was married, to withdraw from the governor’s race in California, but it also led to his resignation from Congress after 13 years in office.
At the time when the allegations emerged, Swalwell was staying at Cloobeck’s mansion, which the FBI just raided. Following the news, Cloobeck quickly expelled Swalwell from the property and claimed he severed all connections with him, including financial support. He even requested a refund of $1 million that he had donated to a Democrat Super PAC and stated that he was leaving the Democratic Party altogether.
The raid on Tuesday followed an August search warrant executed at Swalwell’s home in Washington, DC. Additionally, that same month, the FBI seized Swalwell’s electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport.
As of now, Swalwell has not been arrested or detained, and he denies any wrongdoing.
Swalwell’s troubles extend beyond federal scrutiny. Following the sexual assault allegations, criminal investigations were also initiated by both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
Details about the federal investigation are limited, but the August search warrant was reportedly “filed under a federal statute (Section 242 of Title 18) which prohibits officials, including law enforcement, from abusing their authority to deprive someone of their constitutional rights.” It remains unclear how this relates to Swalwell, although it may involve whether he misused his position as a U.S. Congressman. The federal authorities could potentially probe if he violated the Mann Act if he is found to have crossed state lines inappropriately.
Swalwell’s downfall has been quite dramatic. Once viewed as a promising figure in the Democratic Party and the media, he now finds himself in a serious scandal that, if substantiated, could paint him as what he has accused others—especially Trump—of being. This includes concerns about his prior ties with a Chinese spy named Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, in 2013, a relationship Swalwell has admitted to having.
While the nature of the accusations against him is absolutely disturbing, there’s little joy in witnessing his steep decline. Still, many will perhaps feel a sense of satisfaction if justice is eventually served in this case.
