The silence is "deafening" from Democrats about Rep. Eric Swalwell's connections with a suspected Chinese spy and how he's able to remain on the powerful House Intelligence Committee, Senate Minority Whip Steve Scalise said Tuesday.
"Reports are that it goes back to when he was a councilman, long before he was in Congress," the Louisiana Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "The Chinese spy helped raise money for him, actually helped infiltrate his office. (She) got some other people in his office that were probably spies, and then he gets on the House Intelligence Committee."
Swalwell, D-Calif., has denied wrongdoing in connection with his relationship with suspected spy Fang Fang, aka Christine Fang, who has been linked with several politicians while their careers were growing. He also says he cooperated with the FBI when he was alerted about Fang.
"The real question there, did Speaker(Nancy) Pelosi know that he had a relationship with a Chinese spy prior to putting him on the House Intelligence Committee?" said Scalise. "All these questions need to be asked and the bottom line is he should be removed."
The appointment also raises questions about why Pelosi backed away from a bipartisan commission on China with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said Scalise.
"(Rep.) Mike McCaul put together a great report from that commission (and the) alarming questions that it raises about China," said Scalise. "Why did Speaker Pelosi back away from that just a few months ago?"
Scalise also discussed the resignation of Attorney General Bill Barr, who is stepping down effective Dec. 23 after growing criticism from President Donald Trump.
"He got to leave on his own terms," said Scalise. "He served a long time there and he came back to help the Trump administration. There was a lot to clean up within the Justice Department (and there) still is. I think people would still like to see some resolution to a few of the things outstanding from the last few years but, in the end, you know, he and the president left on good terms, which is most important there."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.