Report: FBI agents searched Eric Swalwell’s home and seized electronic devices amid sexual assault allegations inquiry

Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C., home of former California Democratic representative Eric Swalwell and, during the investigation, seized electronic devices, according to a report published Thursday by The Guardian that cited reporting from CNN. The search was described as taking place over the weekend amid an ongoing law enforcement inquiry tied to sexual assault allegations.

The Guardian report said federal agents searched Swalwell’s home in Washington on Sunday and that CNN reported agents also seized electronic devices from Swalwell on Saturday. The reports did not identify the target, location details beyond the home being in Washington, D.C., or the specific individuals or entities connected to the underlying allegations.

Swalwell, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, has previously faced public scrutiny in connection with claims about sexual misconduct allegations involving an unnamed matter, according to how the reporting is framed. The Guardian and the cited CNN account characterize the matter as an active law enforcement investigation rather than a concluded adjudication.

The reports place the investigative activity in the context of federal evidence-gathering. Seizures of electronic devices are commonly associated with efforts to preserve communications, records, and other potentially relevant material for investigative or prosecutorial review, though neither The Guardian nor CNN in the account provided details about what investigators expected to find.

As of publication, no court order, charging document, or other primary legal filing was identified in the reporting summarized by The Guardian. The reports also did not provide information on whether Swalwell was present, whether he was formally notified in writing at the time of the search, or whether any specific federal statute or jurisdictional theory was implicated.

The practical next steps in an investigation involving device seizures typically include forensic review of seized data, interviews, and coordination between investigative and prosecutorial authorities. Whether the evidence leads to charges, referral to another prosecutorial office, or further investigative steps is not determined by the fact of a search alone, and the reporting did not describe any timetable.

Swalwell has not been described in the supplied reporting as making a public legal filing responding to the search at the time of publication. The reports also did not quote an official law enforcement statement explaining the basis for the investigative action, leaving key legal details, such as the warrant scope and the specific allegations under review, not fully documented in the available record.

The episode underscores the role federal investigators can play in time-sensitive evidence collection when allegations involve potential criminal conduct and digital communications. It also illustrates how searches can occur while matters remain under investigation, with allegations contested and unresolved until any formal charging decision is made.