FBI Files Reveal Fang Fang’s Sexual Relationship With Eric Swalwell and Political Influence Efforts

Recently, the White House declassified a batch of FBI documents detailing the bureau’s investigation into suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang, better known as Fang Fang, and her efforts to cultivate U.S. political figures through personal relationships, campaign connections, and the placement of interns. Among the newly released records is an FBI account in which former California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell acknowledged having a sexual relationship with Fang. The documents also show that the FBI at one point sought to recruit Fang as an informant or double agent. Fang further told investigators that she had previously worked as a flight attendant aboard aircraft used by then-Chinese leader Hu Jintao.

On Aug. 17, 2026, the White House Government Transparency Working Group released nearly 150 pages of declassified FBI documents by order of President Trump. The documents reveal further details of the interactions between Chinese citizen Fang Fang and former California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, including Swalwell’s admission that he engaged in sexual relations with Fang Fang before being elected to the U.S. Congress. However, he had never publicly acknowledged this relationship before.

According to the documents, the FBI investigated the relationship between Swalwell and Fang Fang from 2013 to 2015. Swalwell admitted to having intimate relations with Fang Fang multiple times. He also confirmed that he arranged for interns recommended by Fang Fang to work in Congress.

Swalwell told FBI agents that Fang Fang had appeared unannounced at his apartment, possibly before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, and that the two later began a sexual relationship. In a subsequent interview, he said their last sexual encounter occurred in March 2015 and characterized the relationship as casual rather than romantic. Swalwell also told agents that Fang never sought classified information from him, that he never provided her with any such information, and that he did not trade their relationship for political favors.

The FBI documents also shed light on a suspected political donations scheme involving Swalwell. According to the records, investigators initially considered whether Fang Fang helped raise campaign contributions for Swalwell in exchange for securing internships in his congressional office for individuals she recommended.

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However, the FBI later narrowed the scope of its investigation. From 2013 to 2014, the documents show that Fang Fang allegedly funneled funds to Swalwell’s campaign team through U.S. citizens acting as “straw donors” and promised to reimburse a portion of the donations. The documents state that at least some of the contributions from 2013 can be traced back to Fang Fang herself. 

A “straw donation” is the illegal use of another person’s funds to make political contributions under one’s own name.

Several informants provided the FBI with details of illegal campaign contributions, including instances where Fang Fang offered to reimburse them for donations made in their names to Swalwell’s campaign.

The documents included copies of cashed checks totaling up to $60,000 as evidence of the misconduct.

U.S. law prohibits foreign nationals from making direct contributions to the campaigns of U.S. federal candidates, which is why this is considered misconduct.

The FBI documents also describe Fang Fang using her relationship with a winery owner to obtain discounted airline tickets for herself and her associates. The declassified records include copies of passports and other identifying documents collected by investigators during the course of the FBI’s inquiry.

In an interview with FBI agents, the winery owner said that he “sometimes felt Fang Fang was a Chinese (CCP) spy.” “She was very private and would often leave without explanation. However, she also did some things [text intentionally redacted] that were considered very obvious and unwise.”

Swalwell served as a U.S. congressman beginning in early 2013. He was later accused of sexual assault by a former staff member and resigned in April 2026 amid a sex scandal.

Even more striking is that the FBI had planned to recruit Fang Fang as a double agent prior to formally investigating her. The FBI had already uncovered evidence of her unusual ties to Chinese Communist Party intelligence agencies, and one internal memo directly listed her parents as “known intelligence officers of the Chinese Ministry of State Security.”

Beginning in 2013, the FBI launched a counterintelligence operation codenamed “Rusty Thumbs” that sought to recruit Fang Fang as an unwitting double agent while gathering intelligence on the CCP Ministry of State Security’s efforts to cultivate and influence U.S. political figures. Declassified files from the operation provide a detailed account of those covert efforts.

After multiple meetings with Fang Fang, an undercover FBI agent presented her with an employment contract from a fictitious company, which she signed in June 2013. The contract required her to carry out political tasks and provide “cultural expertise.”

The files reveal that FBI agents obtained Fang Fang’s résumé. In her résumé, Fang stated that she had worked for Air China from May 2002 to September 2009 as a flight attendant on the private jet of the CCP’s top leader, Hu Jintao. 

The investigation found that Fang Fang had ties to CCP intelligence agencies and that her parents were high-ranking CCP officials. However, she repeatedly downplayed their positions, claiming that they were about to retire.

Documents show that Fang Fang told others that her connections in China were comparable to those of “members of the Red Families,” including a relative of former CCP leader Mao Zedong.

Declassified documents show that, when evidence emerged indicating that Fang Fang was actively influencing campaign contributions and personnel appointments, the FBI immediately terminated its attempts to recruit her and began a criminal investigation.

A timeline of the events

The following timeline traces Fang Fang’s activities in the United States, drawing on newly declassified FBI documents as well as previous media reports.

Beginning in 2011, she built a network in California’s political circles, engaging with political figures at both the local and federal levels. U.S. officials suspect that this was part of a political intelligence or influence operation led by the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of State Security. According to the documents, she had extensive connections within California’s Democratic circles, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. These connections included many mayors and politicians. 

In 2012, according to FBI documents, Fang Fang met Swalwell during his first campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2013, the FBI launched a counterintelligence operation codenamed “Rusty Thumbs” to recruit Fang Fang as an unwitting double agent and use her to gather information on CCP intelligence activities.

In June 2013, an undercover FBI agent offered Fang Fang a work contract from a fictitious company. Fang Fang signed the documents, agreed to perform political work, and provided “cultural expertise.”

From 2013 to 2014, FBI documents indicate that Fang Fang allegedly funneled funds to Swalwell’s campaign team through Americans acting as “front donors” and promised to reimburse a portion of the donations. The documents show that at least some of the funds can be traced back to Fang Fang. Starting in early 2013, Swalwell served as a U.S. representative before resigning in 2026 amid a sex scandal. 

On March 17, 2014, the FBI opened a Sensitive Investigative Matter codenamed “Freshman Fifteen” to examine allegations that campaign contributions were being exchanged for access to then-Rep. Eric Swalwell and internships in his congressional office. Investigators initially considered potential violations including bribery, conspiracy, excessive campaign contributions, prohibited foreign-national contributions, and contributions made through intermediaries.

In 2014, Fang Fang used her influence to place interns in Swalwell’s campaign team and political office. Investigators suspected a quid pro quo between the internships and political contributions.

In March 2015, as part of a sting operation, an FBI undercover source donated $1,000 to Swalwell’s campaign at Fang’s request. However, the investigation was closed because there was not enough evidence to support the quid pro quo allegations within the authorized timeframe.

Also in March 2015, FBI documents show that Swalwell told the FBI that his last sexual encounter with Fang Fang occurred around that time. He stated that their relationship was casual and not romantic.

In mid-2015, as the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Fang Fang intensified, she quietly left the United States and returned to China following a search of her residence in the San Francisco Bay Area.

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies provided Swalwell with a “defensive briefing” in 2015, informing him that Fang Fang was suspected of engaging in activities that could have political implications for the United States. According to public media reports, Swalwell subsequently severed contact with Fang Fang.

Fang Fang escapes criminal prosecution

In the years that followed, the U.S. Department of Justice ultimately did not file any public criminal charges against Fang Fang. According to FBI documents, the reasons included Fang Fang’s departure from the country, the low likelihood of her returning to the U.S. to stand trial, and the potential statute of limitations issues of some of the cases. 

In 2023, the U.S. House Ethics Committee concluded its investigation into Fang Fang without taking further action against her. Public records also state that Swalwell was not accused of any wrongdoing.

In March 2026, media reports indicated that the FBI was considering releasing investigation files from more than a decade earlier. However, Swalwell’s attorney, who was campaigning for California governor at the time, requested that the FBI halt the disclosure, arguing that it could raise privacy law concerns.

In April 2026, Swalwell withdrew from the California gubernatorial race due to a sex scandal and resigned from his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Aug. 17, 2026, the White House Working Group on Government Transparency released declassified FBI documents revealing details about Swalwell’s relationship with Fang Fang, the FBI’s “Rusty Thumbs” recruitment operation, suspicious campaign donations, and the placement of interns in congressional offices.

Chinese Communist Party espionage tactics

The case revealed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) tactics for penetrating U.S. politics.

According to The Epoch Times, on Aug. 16, a senior U.S. government official told the media that the CCP is influencing the United States through various channels. The official noted that the recently released FBI counterintelligence investigation documents regarding Swalwell’s relationship with Fang Fang are the “most revealing documents” to date.

The official stated, “Beijing’s infiltration of the U.S. system is ongoing. It seeks multiple avenues, not just a single one.”

The official continued: “In this case, we see a woman with clear ties to Chinese intelligence agencies attempting to approach a newly elected member of Congress.” The official emphasized that Fang Fang sought to influence Swalwell’s campaign through sexual enticement and “head-count” donations. The official explained: “She was prepared to use sex to gain access to the U.S. political system. She was also interested in making campaign contributions to gain influence in political circles.”

He added: “This provides us with a case study that allows us to understand how China attempts to infiltrate the U.S. political system.” It will give Congress a deeper understanding of the Chinese Communist Party’s strategies, such as using money, sex, and interns to influence Congress.

The official mentioned that Jack Smith, the head of the Public Integrity Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, was one of the prosecutors who decided not to file charges against Fang Fang at the time.