Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 20
Feds Detain Eric Swalwell, Seize 2 Devices in Civil Rights Probe
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 20

Feds Detain Eric Swalwell, Seize 2 Devices in Civil Rights Probe

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 20

Summary

  • Federal agents briefly held former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday and seized his white iPhone and MacBook Pro, according to a person familiar with the inquiry.
  • Court records show prosecutors are using civil rights law to examine whether Swalwell, acting under official authority as a member of Congress, willfully deprived someone of constitutional rights.
  • A search warrant was also executed Sunday at Swalwell’s Washington home as investigators pursued evidence tied to sexual assault allegations, including a claim by Lonna Drewes that he drugged and raped her in 2018.
  • Swalwell resigned from Congress and quit California’s governor race in April after the accusations surfaced; he has denied wrongdoing, and authorities in New York and Los Angeles County are running separate investigations.

Insights

What specific digital evidence led federal investigators to suddenly seize the former congressman's devices and search his home?