Despite revelations of his connection to a former alleged Chinese spy, California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has been named to the House Homeland Security Committee.
Swalwell had been serving on the Intelligence Committee. He was a member of the Homeland Security Committee in his first term, according to Fox News.
Swalwell’s assignment to the panel was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Some raised eyebrows at the assignment.
Speaker Pelosi names Rep. Swalwell to return to the Homeland Security Committee despite spy ties https://t.co/LTXAJzTOwQ #FoxNews
Espionage, she seriously can't find one that is qualified?#swallwellthespy#removethisidiot— Amy Morrison (@amymorrison1007) January 15, 2021
What the heck is wrong with pelosi!? Putting Eric Swalwell back on homeland security committee is the most ridiculous thing ever. These politicians are so stupid. They all think Russia is the biggest threat. Nope China is! #Democrats #PelosiCrimeFamily #
— Michelle (@tmg_hou) January 15, 2021
In December, reports emerged that Swalwell had been so close to a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy that he was given an FBI briefing to warn him.
Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, had been a prominent fundraiser for Swalwell’s 2014 congressional campaign and reportedly placed an intern in his office.
Fang had cultivated relationships with a number of other politicians, according to Axios, including two unnamed Midwestern mayors she allegedly had sexual relationships with.
In 2015, the FBI gave Swalwell what’s known as a “defensive briefing” — alerting him to the fact that they believed Fang was a spy. Swalwell says he cut off contact, although several of his family members remained Facebook friends with Fang until after the story broke.
The reverberations of the revelation were so intense that last month Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy were briefed by the FBI about the issue, at McCarthy’s request, according to NPR.
McCarthy later said the briefing “only raised more questions. The one thing that was fundamentally answered: He should not be on Intel.”
Labeling China “an adversary in many shapes and many forms,” McCarthy said “there are definitely 200 other Democrats that I know could fill that place long before this individual should be serving.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that “After entangling with this spy for years, Swalwell hypocritically went on to be one of the lead instigators of the Russia collusion hoax and the impeachment sham.”
Former Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, in a December Fox News interview, put the issue succinctly in a hypothetical question he would ask Pelosi concerning Swalwell’s membership at the time on the House Intelligence Committee.
“There are 230 [House] Democrats, and you mean to tell me she cannot find a single one that didn’t date a Chinese spy?” Gowdy said.
Gowdy said he is concerned that Swalwell has never been open about the extent of his relationship with Fang.
“I don’t think Swalwell has denied having a relationship [with her],” Gowdy said. “He said it was classified. I’ll be damned if I know what that means: All you’ve got to say is, ‘I didn’t sleep with her,’ Eric. That’s all you got to say.”
Story cited here.
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