Crime & justice

FBI Searches Donor's Mansion in Swalwell Probe

Is this the result of a partisan outrage machine run amok or evidence finally being followed to the top?

5 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

FBI Searches Donor's Mansion in Swalwell Probe

Story

Above: FBI personnel outside a home believed to be tied to a probe into former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell on Oct. 27. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Facts

The FBI searched a Beverly Hills mansion Tuesday in the probe of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat. The home is tied to Stephen Cloobeck, a billionaire donor who backed Swalwell's suspended campaign for governor.
The Washington Post
FOX News
Cloobeck was not at the home when the search warrant was executed and "continues to have faith in the judicial process," his attorneys said. A law enforcement official told the New York Post the search was linked to a sex worker.
New York Post
BBC News
A spokesperson said the FBI "conducted an operation in the Los Angeles region related to an ongoing criminal investigation" and made no further comment. Outlets tied the search to Swalwell, citing people familiar with the probe into alleged sexual misconduct.
Just The News
The Guardian
Cloobeck spent over $1 million backing Swalwell's run for governor and let him stay at the mansion, where Swalwell filmed a video denying the allegations. He cut ties with the former congressman after the accusations surfaced.
Twitchy
Raw Story
Federal agents seized Swalwell's electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport in August, then executed a second warrant at his Washington, D.C., home the next day. He was not arrested or detained during either search.
Red State
CBS News
Swalwell resigned from Congress in April after being accused of misconduct, including rape and unsolicited explicit images. He denies wrongdoing, while prosecutors in Manhattan and Los Angeles County have opened inquiries.
The Washington Examiner
Newsweek

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The Spin

Republican narrative

Federal agents don't show up at a billionaire's mansion on a whim, and seized phones plus multiple accusers indicate reason for further investigation. Powerful men have skated for years while wealthy friends hand over cover and a place to hide. Following the evidence all the way up, donor mansions included, is how trust in the system gets rebuilt.

Promethean Action on X

Benny Johnson on X

Democratic narrative

The outrage machine on the right rings hollow coming from a party that shrugged at a leader found liable for sexual abuse and named throughout the Epstein files. Justice has to be about one person's conduct, not feeding a bonfire to prove a point about some other scandal.