Wisconsin Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee on Friday seeking an immediate investigation into reports that California Democratic counterpart Eric Swalwell was compromised by a Chinese spy.
''I respectfully request the House Committee on Ethics immediately open an investigation into the allegations recently made public by an article in Axios regarding the compromising of Representative Eric Swalwell, a member of Congress and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,'' wrote the 21-term Sensenbrenner, 77, who is retiring in January, according to Fox News.
The Axios report quoted unidentified federal officials as saying that Swalwell was befriended by Chinese national Fang Fang, also known as Christine Fang, who targeted the California Democrat as well as other politicians in the San Francisco area between 2011 and 2015. The relationship with Swalwell was of particular concern because he became a member of the House intelligence committee during his second term in 2014.
Fang helped place at least one intern on Swalwell’s staff. Swalwell reportedly terminated his contact with Fang in 2015 after being informed by federal officials about her suspected ties to China’s Ministry of State Security.
''The story indicates that the FBI was so concerned with his close relationship with Fang that they had to warn Swalwell about his connections to a known spy in 2015, including Rep. Swalwell’s decision to place an intern in his Congressional office on Fang’s recommendations,'' Sensenbrenner wrote.
The Republican also pointed out that Swalwell’s appointment to the intelligence committee provided him ''with significant access to highly sensitive and classified information.''
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