House Intelligence Committee Republicans were shocked to learn that a committee member, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), had ties with a suspected Chinese spy who slept with U.S. politicians to gain information.
Swalwell, who represents a district south of Oakland, California, received a “defensive briefing” from the FBI in 2015 on an operative named Fang Fang, but most, if not all, GOP members of the committee were not informed that one of their colleagues was targeted by China, the New York Post reported.
Fang, also known as Christine Fang, went back to China in mid-2015 as U.S. officials caught wise to her activities.
She reportedly participated in fundraising efforts for Swalwell’s 2014 reelection bid before he joined the House Intelligence Committee in 2015.
The intelligence committee is supposed to have access to some of the nation’s most sensitive information to serve as an oversight body of intelligence programs.
If the Chinese operation took place as reported in Axios Tuesday, it is unclear why lawmakers other than Swalwell were not informed, especially since Fang may have chosen Swalwell due to his access to sensitive information.
Swalwell has not said whether he had a romantic relationship with Fang, who allegedly seduced two Midwest mayors between 2011 and 2015.
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