Who is Eric Swalwell and what did he do?Why did billionaire Stephen Cloobeck let him stay at his California mansion before the FBI raid?

The FBI has raided a Beverly Hills mansion in connection with the investigation into disgraced California politician Eric Swalwell. Sources told The New York Post that the raid was linked to a sex worker. The Tuesday raid targeted the home of billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, who prominently backed Swalwell’s run for governor and even let him stay at his mansion in SoCal. However, when allegations surfaced that former Congressman Swalwell sexually assaulted multiple women including former staffers, Cloobeck changed his mind and asked him to leave the house, the report said.

The FBI confirmed that it had conducted an operation in the Los Angeles region but declined to provide further details. The search came months after Swalwell resigned from Congress and abandoned his California gubernatorial campaign following allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Swalwell has denied criminal wrongdoing.

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What did Eric Swalwell do?

Earlier this year, on April 12, former congressman Swalwell, 45, suspended his campaign for governor of California after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them. The allegations against Swalwell first emerged on April 10, when a former staffer, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, accused him of sexual assault. Three other women also came forward with allegations against the Democratic lawmaker.

Days later, two of the accusers, Annika Albrecht and Ally Sammarco, appeared in a joint interview with CBS News alongside political social media influencer Cheyenne Hunt. Hunt's videos discussing the allegations against Swalwell had gone viral online.

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Who is Eric Swalwell?

Eric Swalwell was born on November 16, 1980, in Sac City, Sac County, Iowa. He graduated from Dublin High School in Dublin, California, in 1999 and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in College Park in 2003. He later received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore in 2006.

Swalwell worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County, California, and served as a deputy district attorney from 2006 to 2012. He was also a member of the Dublin City Council from 2010 to 2012.

A Democrat, Swalwell was elected to the 113th US Congress and subsequently won reelection to six successive terms. He served in the House of Representatives from January 3, 2013, until his resignation on April 14, 2026. In 2021, he was one of the House managers appointed to present the impeachment case against then-President Donald Trump.

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He has been married to Brittany Watts for nine years. Swalwell apologized to his wife in the statements he released upon suspending his gubernatorial campaign. One day later, he resigned from Congress, where he'd represented California's 14th and 15th districts since 2013. The couple are living separately, with Watts staying with their three children: Nelson, 8, Cricket, 7, and Hank, 4

“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past," he wrote in his X announcement. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that's my fight, not a campaign's."

Why did Stephen Cloobeck let Eric Swalwell stay at his mansion?

Stephen Cloobeck, the founder of Diamond Resorts International, had always financially backed Swalwell's political ambitions. He reportedly contributed $1 million to an independent political committee supporting Swalwell's now-abandoned campaign for California governor. The billionaire also allowed the former congressman to stay at his Beverly Hills mansion as allegations against him became public.

In an April interview with TMZ, Cloobeck said he had initially invited Swalwell to stay with him because he was concerned about his friend amid the intense public backlash. He said he feared Swalwell might hurt himself because of the negative attention surrounding the allegations.

Cloobeck also said he was "devastated, disgusted, disappointed and shocked" to learn about the women who came forward with accusations of sexual assault against Swalwell. Cloobeck said as a businessman, he does not "bust the trust" and always has integrity. Cloobeck said Swalwell apologized and then walked out without telling him where he was going.

Cloobeck said he initially invited Swalwell to stay with him because he was concerned about Swalwell's mental stability, fearing the lawmaker might hurt himself over all the negative attention, TMZ reported.

What did Cloobeck say before kicking Swalwell out?

According to Cloobeck, he confronted Swalwell directly about the allegations before asking him to leave the property. He said he was disappointed that the former congressman had broken his trust. Swalwell reportedly apologized and left without telling Cloobeck where he was going.

Cloobeck also made his position clear in comments to the New York Post in April, saying: “I am no longer associated with a man that takes advantage of women.” He added, “I support women's rights.”

What is the FBI investigating in the Eric Swalwell case?

The latest search is part of a broader investigation involving allegations against Swalwell. In August, federal agents seized electronic devices from him at San Francisco International Airport and searched his Washington, DC, home the following day, according to earlier reporting.

The allegations became public in reports by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle. A former staffer accused Swalwell of raping her at a New York hotel in 2024, while other women alleged various forms of sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied the allegations and has not been convicted of the alleged offenses.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has confirmed an investigation, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department also opened a criminal investigation following the allegations.