Rep Eric Swalwell was found to be compromised by a suspected Chinese spy back in 2014. The alleged spy Christine Fang was high enough in the Swalwell’s campaign that she was making staffing decisions. Swalwell is privy to sensitive information since he is on the House Intelligence Committee yet Pelosi seems to think that it’s no big deal that Swalwell had an alleged Chinese on his staff.
Pelosi was asked about it during her weekly Press Conference.
“[Are we to a point where there should be Universal] Background checks for aides or interns across the board for all staff and interns on Capitol Hill after the concerns about Mr. Swalwell?” Reporter Chad asked
Speaker Pelosi: Well, I don’t have any concern about Mr. Swalwell.
There are those in the Congress who believe, and I am among them, that we should be seeing what influence the Chinese – I’ve been fighting them, as you know, for over 30 years in terms of their undue influence at universities in our country and the overtures they try to make to Members of Congress.
In terms of Mr. Swalwell, in the spring of 2015 the leadership of the House and the Committee were informed that overtures from a Chinese person was – were being made to Members of Congress. When that was made known to the Members of Congress, it was over. You know, that was the end of any communication with those people.
So, it isn’t – I don’t – I think we should make sure that everybody knows what they are being subjected to, but I don’t know that it means that we have to do background checks for every intern who comes into the Capitol.
I do think that it’s unfortunate that Mr. McCarthy is trying to make an issue of this when his leader – we all found out at the same time, the Republican leadership, that several Members had been approached.”
“McCarthy, however, is demanding answers from Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, chair of that committee, after Swalwell said they knew about the report.
“This is a national security threat,” McCarthy said. “Now we have Eric Swalwell, who’s been swindled by the Chinese, but what’s even more interesting here is why did he attack the American Director of Intelligence John Ratcliffe’s report talking about the expansion of China spying throughout … just last week. He attacked … Ratcliffe defending China.”
“This man should not be in the intel committee. He’s jeopardizing national security,” he doubled down, adding, “When did Nancy Pelosi know of this and why did she maintain him on the committee? Adam Schiff, who has spent four years as chair worried about the foreign intervention into our country, knowingly keep an individual on the committee, if he knew, as Swalwell says, that he was with a Chinese individual who was a spy, who helped him run for Congress?”
The Chinese operative Christine Fang joined up with Swalwell years ago and was with his campaign for about 2 years.
“Fang took part in fundraising activity for Swalwell’s 2014 re-election campaign, according to a Bay Area political operative and a current U.S. intelligence official. Swalwell’s office was directly aware of these activities on its behalf, the political operative said. That same political operative, who witnessed Fang fundraising on Swalwell’s behalf, found no evidence of illegal contributions.
“Fang helped place at least one intern in Swalwell’s office, according to those same two people, and interacted with Swalwell at multiple events over the course of several years.”
McCarthy has a point that since Swalwell was compromised he should no longer be on the House Intelligence Committee. There is no telling how much information he allowed China to access and the spy even helped him get an intern. Swalwell may not have intended it but he was compromised and shouldn’t be dealing with sensitive matters anymore at the very least.
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