Tuesday morning, Axios dropped the results from their yearlong investigation into a suspected Chinese spy who has been operating in the Bay Area of California for the past several years, covertly influencing California politicians.
The biggest name associated with this Chinese Spy is US Representative from California, Eric "Nuke American Gun-Owners" Swalwell who briefly ran for President in the Democratic Primary.
According to Axios:
A suspected Chinese intelligence operative developed extensive ties with local and national politicians, including a U.S. congressman, in what U.S. officials believe was a political intelligence operation run by China's main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Axios found in a yearlong investigation...
The woman at the center of the operation, a Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang, targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage...
The strategy implemented by Fang was to cozy up to up-and-coming politicians in order to influence them once they gained positions of higher power. And one of the victims of this scam was none other than the most boring and bland House member, Eric Swalwell.
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.
Federal Election Commission records don't indicate Fang herself made donations, which are prohibited from foreign nationals.
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.
A statement from Swalwell's office provided to Axios said: "Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI. To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."
What happened: Amid a widening counterintelligence probe, federal investigators became so alarmed by Fang's behavior and activities that around 2015 they alerted Swalwell to their concerns — giving him what is known as a defensive briefing.
Swalwell immediately cut off all ties to Fang, according to a current U.S. intelligence official, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
According to the investigation Fang was involved in fundraising for Swalwell and became so close to the Representative that the FBI became VERY alarmed and warned Swalwell about what they expected was happening. At this point, after knowing Fang and allowing her to fundraise for the campaign and recommend interns for two years, Swalwell finally wised up and cut Fang loose.
After two years.
This is getting to Dianne Feinstein levels of incompetence. What is it with California Democrats cozying up to foreign spies?
Arthur Schwartz asks the question that, unfortunately, is on everyone's mind.
This blackmail risk is definitely something to worry about. Especially if the FBI was worried about how close Fang was to Representative Swalwell.
My guess is that while Fang got close to Swalwell, she was probably wise enough to not get too close. Swalwell has been known to clear out a room.
