Dem congressman refused to admit sexual relationship with suspected Chinese spy

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Axios reported on Tuesday that an alleged Chinese spy got close earlier with Califonia Rep. Eric Swalwell.
• While Axios did not suggest that a sexual relationship between Swalwell and the woman exists, Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson reported that sources from U.S. intelligence alleged they’d been together.
• Swalwell and his office refused to comment on the report, but he said during a CNN interview that he’s doubtful about the timing of when the Axios allegation was released.

The office of California Rep. Eric Swalwell has not answered Insider’s inquiries about his alleged sexual relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.

The reports linking the woman and the Democratic congressman surfaced when Tucker Carlson of Fox News referred to an Axios story relating Swalwell to a woman who shortly escaped in 2015 following an FBI investigation.

Axios issued a report on Tuesday about the affairs of Christine Fang or Fang Fang, who officials from the U.S. counterintelligence think was an operative for China who aimed to influence promising American politicians.

The report said that Fang mostly targeted national and Bay Area U.S. politics between 2011 to 2015 and had sex with two mayors as part of intelligence gathering operations within the said period.

The outlet added that Fang and Swalwell met when he was still a Dublin, California City Council member. Fang reportedly helped the representative raise funds, and the woman even positioned an intern in Swalwell’s Washington, DC office when he started serving as Congressman.

Swalwell currently is one of the leading Democrats in the Lower House and a member of the Intelligence Committee. He failed a bid for presidential nomination this year’s Democratic primary.

Axios clarified that Swalwell was not accused of any offense and ended his connection with Fang the soonest he knew about her link to China in 2015.  The report did not particularly say that the woman and Congressman had an intimate relationship.

On his show Tuesday evening, though, Fox News commentator Carlson said that intelligence officials in the U.S believe that Fang and Swalwell slept together, adding that the representative’s office did not answer the allegation since such may be confidential.

The Insider also requested Swalwell’s camp for comment but to no avail.

Currently, Swalwell has two children and is married to Britanny Watts since 2016

On Wednesday, a Fox News spokesperson told the Insider that Carlson’s report about Swalwell and Fang’s sexual relationship came directly from the source, without further explanation.

But Swalwell appeared for an interview with CNN, saying Axios did not accuse him of any illegal affairs, adding that when the FBI informed him about Fang’s China connection, he cooperated with the agency in its investigation.

The lawmaker is also doubtful of the timing and source of Axios’ report considering it started last year when he’s part of the team in charge of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Source: Yahoo News