WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has rejected a Republican attempt to remove California Representative Eric Swalwell from the House’s intelligence panel over his contact more than six years ago with a suspected Chinese spy targeting U.S. politicians targeted.
Democrats put off Republican leader Kevin McCarthy’s effort, 218-200, after forcing a vote. His resolution against Swalwell cited information, which was first Axios, that the alleged spy, Christine Fang, came into contact with Swalwell’s campaign when he first appeared for Congress in 2012. She also participated in fundraising for his 2014 campaign and helped place an intern in his office, reads the report.
Federal investigators have informed Swalwell of their concerns – and informed Congress about Fang in 2015, to which Swalwell said he had broken contact with her. The authorities did not charge him with any offense.
House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said in a letter to colleagues on Thursday that Swalwell was a “trusted member of our committee” and that he had “acted in full compliance with his responsibilities” to the counterintelligence committee. briefing in 2015. Schiff said Republican leaders, including then-speaker John Boehner and then-chairman of the intelligence panel, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, is currently informed of the situation and ‘has not expressed any opposition to his continued service to the committee. ”
McCarthy requested his own briefing on Swalwell following the Axios report in December. After the briefing, which was also attended by Nancy Pelosi, home speaker, McCarthy said he thinks Swalwell should be removed.
The Republican resolution comes as the once-dual intelligence panel deals with the raw feelings of the investigations into former President Donald Trump’s ties with Russia. While Schiff and Nunes once worked together, the Trump era disintegrated as the panel became one of the most divided in the entire Congress. Democrats encouraged the investigation into Trump while Republicans vehemently defended him.
Swalwell was one of Trump’s sharpest critics and served as a home manager during the former president’s second indictment last month. He briefly ran for office in 2019.
In the resolution, McCarthy said that members appointed by Pelosi to the intelligence committee “should have the highest credibility and character” and that “no member should compromise in any way”. Committee members are regularly briefed on sensitive national intelligence.
Swalwell’s office issued a statement in December saying it had “long ago” provided information to the FBI about Fang, who he said had met more than eight years ago and had not been seen in nearly six years. He declined to comment further “to protect the information that could be classified”, the statement said.
Asked about the removal attempt earlier this week on MSNBC, Swalwell said that when he was told that someone helping his campaign “not who we thought they were, we kicked the person out and we helped the FBI.” But he did not want to discuss any further details and said he ‘honored my oath of national security’, unlike those who leaked it a few years later.
“It’s just about repayment because of my role in the indictment process and holding the president accountable,” Swalwell said. “And I think people see it through.”
The vote comes after the House voted last month to remove Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from both her committees, an unprecedented punishment the Democrats said she deserved by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories.
Republicans argue that Democrats should not decide who Republicans appoint to committees.
“If this is the new standard,” McCarthy said at the time, “we have a long list.”