New Ethics Charges for Eric Swalwell
Former California Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell is in hot water again, facing new ethics allegations. There’s a call for the Justice Department to look into whether he used his congressional position to promote a startup he co-founded with his chief of staff.
These accusations come on the heels of several sexual misconduct claims against him, which Swalwell denies, although he has acknowledged making poor decisions in the past.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a conservative watchdog group, filed a complaint this week urging an investigation into claims that Swalwell pushed Findrazer, an AI political fundraising tool, to Democratic lawmakers and campaigns. His former chief of staff, Yardena Wolf, who co-founded Findrazer, is also named in the complaint. She resigned to lead Swalwell’s now-defunct gubernatorial campaign.
Aside from these ethics issues, Swalwell is already under investigation by various authorities for sexual misconduct allegations that recently emerged. But before that, he faced scrutiny for allegedly promoting Findrazer on Capitol Hill.
A Democratic source told NOTUS that Swalwell had been “selling things” from Findrazer at the Capitol. NOTUS reported based on Federal Election Commission data that Swalwell’s political allies, including Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego, have also engaged with Findrazer.
Follow-up reports indicated that Swalwell and Wolf were actively reaching out to Democratic staffers and members of Congress via text messages to discuss their business.
FACT’s ethics complaint highlights concerns over how publicly held positions should not be used for personal profit. According to FACT’s Executive Director Kendra Arnold, the misuse of public office for private gain must be investigated thoroughly to uphold public trust in government.
Fox News Digital reached out for comments from Swalwell’s legal team and others involved, but no responses were provided. The Justice Department has not indicated whether it will pursue an investigation.
While it’s legal for congressional members to earn money through their businesses, House rules specifically prohibit using political influence for personal financial gain. The House Ethics Manual further advises avoiding any situations that may suggest inappropriate conduct.
Allegations state that while Wolf was Swalwell’s chief of staff, she sent emails to congressional campaigns promoting Findrazer and coordinated meetings to discuss the startup. Reports suggest that Swalwell aggressively marketed the tool to Democratic candidates, leading to interactions that some operatives found alarmingly frequent.
Findrazer reportedly garnered around $60,000 from multiple Democratic campaigns. Meanwhile, Swalwell’s financial disclosures show his company’s worth at between $200,000 and $500,000. A former press secretary mentioned that Swalwell and Wolf had consulted with House ethics officials regarding Findrazer and claimed Swalwell derives no income from the company.
FACT’s complaint states that the circumstances surrounding these allegations merit criminal investigation. Swalwell’s history also includes issues related to campaign funds for a Brazilian nanny he employed without proper work authorization, along with being removed from the House Intelligence Committee because of questionable ties to a suspected Chinese spy. This situation has gained renewed attention amid the recent misconduct allegations, as inquiries into his past conduct continue.
