Trump administration officials have directed FBI agents to gather documents from a decade old investigation involving Representative Eric Swalwell, according to recent reporting that has triggered accusations of political retaliation. The Washington Post reported on March 28 that FBI Director Kash Patel wants documents tied to the old inquiry prepared for possible public release, despite there being no public evidence that Swalwell committed wrongdoing.
The case centers on Christine Fang, a woman long suspected by US authorities of working to build political influence for China and who had contact with Swalwell years ago. The earlier investigation did not result in charges against the California Democrat, but the matter has remained politically sensitive and is now back in the spotlight under Patel’s leadership.
The reported move has drawn immediate criticism from Democrats, who say the FBI is being used to target a political opponent of President Donald Trump. House Judiciary Committee Democrat Jamie Raskin said Patel was abusing “decade old investigative files,” framing the effort as a misuse of federal law enforcement powers.
The issue is especially charged because Swalwell is a longtime Trump critic and is now also running for governor of California. The Los Angeles Times reported that Swalwell accused the White House of trying to influence the race, while Senator Adam Schiff called the effort an abuse of the FBI and a weaponization of the Justice Department.
The controversy adds to broader scrutiny around Patel, who is already under pressure after the FBI confirmed that an Iran linked hacking group breached his personal account, though the bureau said no government systems were compromised. That separate incident has increased attention on Patel’s handling of both security and political controversies.
Overall, the revived Swalwell file dispute is becoming a larger test of whether federal investigative tools are being used for neutral law enforcement purposes or are drifting into openly political territory. That final point is an inference based on the Washington Post reporting and the public response from lawmakers.
