Former Rep. Eric Swalwell was surrounded by FBI agents at San Francisco International Airport as he deboarded a plane, leading to the seizure of his cellphone and laptop as part of a federal criminal investigation, newly obtained video shows.
The California Post exclusively obtained surveillance footage of the Aug. 15 encounter, providing the first look at the dramatic airport search that unfolded after Swalwell arrived in California.
The footage shows Swalwell — dressed incognito in a hat, black sweatshirt and sneakers — speaking with several agents at his flight gate as travelers pass nearby. The former Democratic congressman appears calm and cooperative throughout the encounter.
Video footage of the encounter then shows Swalwell, wearing a backpack and dragging a rollbag, being escorted throughout San Francisco’s airport. He’s taken up an escalator and eventually arrives in a hallway with a sign that says “restricted area.” He then enters a room with multiple people.
Agents served Swalwell with a search warrant at about 8:25 p.m. and seized a white Apple iPhone, its charging cable and wall adapter, and an Apple MacBook Pro, according to an inventory filed with the warrant.
The FBI left Swalwell with a copy of the warrant and an inventory of the property taken, records show.
The video does not show agents placing Swalwell under arrest, and he was reportedly allowed to leave after the search.
Agents executed additional warrants the following day at Swalwell’s Washington, D.C., home, where they seized other potential evidence, a source previously told The Post.
The FBI warrant used to seize Swalwell’s phone and laptop cited a federal civil-rights statute that can be used to prosecute public officials who abuse their government power — suggesting the feds may suspect Swalwell used his official role to silence women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
One former staffer has accused Swalwell of raping her when she was too intoxicated to consent, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Another woman has accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2018, while two others have alleged he sent them unsolicited images of his genitals.
Swalwell has denied wrongdoing.
The allegations prompted Swalwell to end his campaign for California governor and resign from Congress on April 14 as he faced a looming House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged misconduct and sexual assault involving an employee under his supervision.
Before ending his campaign, however, Swalwell’s lawyer sent a threatening letter to individuals accusing him of “nonconsensual sexual encounters” — warning that the then-congressman could sue for defamation over rampant online rumors about alleged inappropriate behavior with women.
The Department of Justice opened an investigation into Swalwell in April as the former congressman faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
Swalwell, who is also the subject of a state ethics invetigation, represented California in Congress for seven terms and previously served in local government and as a prosecutor. He also briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
Swalwell and his representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
