Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is facing a federal criminal referral over alleged mortgage and tax fraud tied to his $1.2 million Washington, DC, home, which he falsely claimed as his primary residence in order to get favorable mortgage terms.
According to a report from the New York Post, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte formally requested the investigation in a Wednesday letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, citing “allegedly false and misleading statements” Swalwell made regarding the purchase.
Swalwell’s declaration that his DC property was his primary residence helped him lock down millions in loans and refinancing, a source familiar with the referral told reporters. It seems the same lawmaker who lectures others on ethics may have quietly benefited from a very convenient interpretation of the rules. FHFA’s inspector general has also opened a probe into the alleged mortgage fraud, adding another layer of federal oversight to Swalwell’s financial dealings.
Naturally, Swalwell is playing the victim card.
“As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing 1 am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,” he said in a statement posted to X. “Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come—I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world.”
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“Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him. And I will not stop speaking out against the President and speaking up for Californians,” he continued. “As Mark Twain said, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ Mr. President, do better. Be Better.”
Oooooh. So brave.
Swalwell purchased the Victorian bungalow, nestled in the District’s historic Eckington neighborhood and just a mile north of the US Capitol, in 2020 for $1.2 million, records show.
The home — which boasts six bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms and more than 3,000 square feet of space — had most of its original 1920s interior ripped out and replaced with a more modern look that includes a stainless steel fireplace and a white marble chimney breast in its parlor, Variety reported.
The fraudulent loan allegations are just the latest investigation of the congressman.
Swalwell prides himself on being a chief critic of Donald Trump, but he’s arguably more famous for having an affair with a Chinese spy, and for a 2019 live interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC, when he farted mid-sentence.
“Chris, so far the evidence is uncontradicted that the president used taxpayer dollars to help him cheat—” Swalwell said before the pause, finishing with, “—an election.”
I’m not saying that Swalwell was definitely the one that ripped it, but in slow motion you can see his body lift up momentarily as he takes a break from speaking just as the fart is unleashed. #fartgate pic.twitter.com/6qYw8r0fTf
— The Darkest Timeline Numbersmuncher (@NumbersMuncher) November 19, 2019
The incident, quickly dubbed Fartgate, went viral. Swalwell later denied having passed gas, though the internet had already made its judgment.
It’s almost poetic that Eric Swalwell, who spent years positioning himself as Trump’s most righteous adversary, now finds himself the subject of a federal criminal referral for allegedly lying to secure better mortgage rates. The man who couldn’t stop lecturing Americans about the rule of law apparently thought those rules didn’t apply when it came time to finance his million-dollar DC mansion.
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