Overview
- Swalwell’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist to FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday, setting a Wednesday deadline and threatening to sue if the bureau moves toward a release.
- The push follows Washington Post reporting that Patel had agents review and redact the decade-old file for possible public release, which the FBI said was routine document preparation.
- The records involve Swalwell’s past contacts with Christine “Fang Fang” Fang; the Justice Department brought no charges, and a 2023 House Ethics review ended without action.
- Swalwell’s attorneys cite the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Justice Manual’s section 9-85.500, arguing that a disclosure weeks before California’s June 2 primary would break those guardrails.
- Democrats including Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Adam Schiff accuse Patel of political weaponization, the FBI rejects that claim as incorrect, and no documents have been released.