Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has directly denied claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired because she leaked sensitive information to him. “The attorney general did not tip us off,” Swalwell said during an interview, responding to President Donald Trump‘s announcement that Bondi had been removed from her role.
Many people in politics linked Bondi’s firing to Trump’s dissatisfaction with her performance, especially her handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein and her perceived failure to go after his political opponents. But some reports suggested another reason: Trump apparently suspected that Bondi had warned Swalwell about the administration’s plans to release details from an old investigation involving the congressman.
According to Mediaite, Swalwell denied that Bondi or anyone close to her had tipped him off. He said the story became public after FBI agents informed The Washington Post. “No one in her orbit tipped us off,” Swalwell said, adding that it was “FBI agents who tipped off The Washington Post because they saw this effort by Kash Patel and Donald Trump to try and interfere in a California governor’s race that I have been leading.”
Swalwell’s past ties to a suspected Chinese spy are at the center of this political fight
The investigation at the center of this story involves Swalwell’s past association with Christine Fang, also known as “Fang Fang,” a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. Fang reportedly built relationships with California politicians between 2011 and 2015, helped with Swalwell’s 2014 congressional campaign fundraising, and placed an intern in his office.
Swalwell has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to Fang, and he cut ties with her immediately after federal agents warned him about her. FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly taken a personal interest in releasing files related to Swalwell’s past dealings with Fang.
Swalwell sent a cease and desist letter to Patel’s office and called the effort “a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California.” At a news conference in San Francisco, he accused Patel of a “horrendous abuse of power.” Swalwell also stated, “This case is closed,” and added, “The bureau said, over 10 years ago, all we did was help [with the investigation].”
According to The NY Post, a senior Trump administration source pushed back on the idea that Bondi was fired because Trump believed she had leaked to Swalwell. Reports had previously shown that Bondi mishandled the Epstein files release, which was one of the key reasons Trump grew frustrated with her tenure.
The source said Trump holds Bondi in high regard personally but had grown unhappy with her overall performance. “The president has been considering this change for a long time,” the source told reporters.
Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign, also denied receiving any warning from the administration. “We had no heads-up by anyone in the administration. None,” Beasley said in an email, calling the stories “laughable if not so outrageous” and saying the administration was “looking to blame anyone but the right people, themselves.”
Following Bondi’s removal, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general while Trump looks for a permanent replacement. Earlier reporting had revealed that Trump had privately decided Bondi’s fate well before making it public. Bondi’s departure is the second cabinet-level exit in recent weeks, after Kristi Noem was removed as Secretary of Homeland Security.
The House Ethics Committee had previously closed its investigation into Swalwell’s dealings with Fang without releasing any findings, after an FBI probe that resulted in no charges. Federal officials have explained that Chinese operatives like Fang typically focus on building long-term influence through networking rather than immediate criminal activity.
Published: Apr 3, 2026 03:40 pm