FBI Seizes Swalwell Electronics at SFO Under Federal Criminal Probe
A sitting investigation into a former House Intelligence Committee member creates procedural questions about how federal agencies handle probes involving ex-legislators.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents served former Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) with a search warrant at San Francisco International Airport and seized his cellphone and other electronic devices, according to a report published by the Daily Mail on or around August 16, 2026. The seizure occurred after Swalwell arrived in California. The Daily Mail, which first reported the airport encounter, cited the action as part of a federal criminal probe. The Congressional Times has not independently reviewed the search warrant, which would be filed in a federal district court and would specify the probable cause standard agents used to obtain judicial authorization.
Swalwell represented California's 14th Congressional District from January 2013 until January 2025, when he did not return to the House following the 2024 election cycle. During his tenure he served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a panel with access to classified national security material. A separate civil lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct was filed against Swalwell; court records in that matter are publicly accessible through the federal PACER system. Whether the FBI search warrant is related to that civil complaint or to a distinct matter is not confirmed in available public records.
A search warrant issued by a federal magistrate or district judge requires a showing of probable cause that evidence of a federal crime will be found on the specified items, per Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41. The warrant itself, once unsealed, would name the statute or statutes under investigation. As of the publication of this article, no warrant or related charging document has appeared in publicly searchable federal court dockets. The Justice Department and FBI did not issue public statements confirming or denying the action as of August 20, 2026.
Swalwell's office or legal representatives had not issued a public statement available through verified channels as of press time. The Republican National Committee and House Republican leadership had not issued statements in searchable congressional press records as of the same date. No indictment or criminal information has been filed in federal court as confirmed by a PACER search. What remains unknown is the specific statute cited in the warrant, the federal district in which the warrant was issued, and whether prosecutors intend to seek charges. Those answers would be contained in the sealed warrant application and any subsequent grand jury materials, which become public only upon court order or unsealing.