By Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) – The FBI has raided a home belonging to former Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, a prominent antagonist of President Donald Trump before he resigned from Congress, as part of an investigation into sexual misconduct claims against him, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
FBI agents seized electronic devices from Swalwell at the San Francisco International Airport and searched his home in Washington, D.C. last weekend, the source said.
A lawyer for Swalwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Swalwell resigned his seat in Congress and dropped out of the race for California governor in April after four women accused him of sexual misconduct, ranging from sexual assault to sending unsolicited explicit images. Swalwell has apologized for “mistakes in judgment” but has said the allegations are false and has vowed to fight them.
Local law enforcement in New York and Los Angeles have announced investigations into the alleged assaults, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it has looked into allegations Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny.
The FBI raid was first reported by CNN.
Swalwell, first elected to Congress in 2012, gained a national profile as a prominent Trump critic and mounted a brief run for president in 2019. He was considered a leading contender in this year’s California governor race before he dropped out.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Chris Reese)
