FBI searches Swalwell donor Stephen Cloobeck’s Beverly Hills home
The October 27 search is linked to an investigation involving the former congressman, Reuters reported. The Justice Department confirmed an FBI operation in the Los Angeles region but gave no further details.
The FBI searched donor Stephen Cloobeck’s home in Beverly Hills, California, on October 27 as part of an investigation involving former US congressman Eric Swalwell, Reuters reported in a story published by The Straits Times. The search extends an inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations that Swalwell denies.
A senior law-enforcement official told Reuters that agents were looking for electronic devices and records pertaining to prostitution. Cloobeck was away from the property, and nobody was arrested during the search, according to the official’s account. Reuters said lawyers for Cloobeck and Swalwell did not respond to emails seeking comment.
What authorities confirmed about the Beverly Hills search
The US Justice Department gave the BBC a narrower public account: ‘Early this morning the FBI conducted an operation in the Los Angeles region related to an ongoing criminal investigation. We have no further comment.’ The statement did not identify Cloobeck’s home, name Swalwell or describe what agents sought. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, agents seized on October 27.
Cloobeck is a billionaire donor to Swalwell, according to Reuters. The Beverly Hills search brought investigators to a property associated with a supporter of the former congressman, following earlier investigative steps directed at Swalwell himself. The search does not establish wrongdoing by Cloobeck; Reuters reported no arrest at the property.
Earlier searches and Swalwell’s response
In August, the FBI searched Swalwell’s Washington, DC, home and seized his electronic devices at a San Francisco airport, Reuters reported. The BBC also reported the earlier home search and device seizure. Those steps followed allegations made by multiple women against Swalwell, including allegations of sexual assault and unsolicited explicit images.
Swalwell resigned from Congress and withdrew from the California governor’s race in April after the allegations emerged. He has apologised for ‘mistakes in judgment’ while saying the allegations are false and pledging to fight them, Reuters reported. His lawyer Sara Azari called the accusations ‘false, fabricated, and deeply offensive’ in comments quoted by the BBC.
Reuters reported that authorities in New York and Los Angeles had announced investigations into alleged assaults. The Department of Homeland Security has also said it looked into an allegation that Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny. Those matters remain allegations or inquiries; the October 27 search was described by the Justice Department only as an operation connected to an ongoing criminal investigation.
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Sources and context
- US FBI raids home of Eric Swalwell’s billionaire donorReuters, republished by The Straits Times
- FBI raids California home tied to former Congressman Eric Swalwell - US mediaBBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.