Jason Chaffetz: Swalwell should be thrown off intelligence committee

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Chaffetz: Eric Swalwell should be thrown off intelligence committee after being linked to Chinese spy

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz calls for Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell to lose his position on the House Intelligence Committee after he was linked to an extensive Chinese spying operation.

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., should be kicked off the intelligence committee after a report he was caught up in an expansive Chinese spying operation.

"I want to know exactly what Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi knew," the former Utah congressman said.

"She and she alone is the person that appoints people to that select committee. Why did they have to have him in that committee when they know that he has potentially been compromised?" Chaffetz added. "Rep. Swalwell has not denied the fact that this actually did happen."

Chaffetz, who said he's received briefings on the pervasiveness of Chinese attempts to spy on Americans, added: "There are so many people that are out there in a counterintelligence type of operation trying to focus to steal America's best, but when we know about one, we've got to make sure that we bottle that up, put it aside and make sure it doesn't happen anymore. And there's an ongoing systemic vulnerability that Nancy Pelosi is putting us in that doesn't need to be there."

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Swalwell told Politico the spy news leaked because of his outspoken criticism of President Trump, but Chaffetz called that a "classic deflection," pointing to Axios' lengthy investigation.

"I think the lack of denial speaks volumes," he said. "Try to deflect and say it's Donald Trump's fault is classic Swalwell but nobody's buying it."

Axios reported that a Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang targeted up-and-coming politicians, including Swalwell. He was first elected to Congress in 2012 and mounted a short-lived bid last year for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He was a fixture on cable news throughout the Russia investigation, accusing Trump of being a Russian agent and claiming evidence of collusion was in "plain sight."

Current and former intelligence officials told the outlet that Fang used campaign fundraising, networking, rallies and romantic relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors to gain proximity to political power. 

Fang reportedly took part in fundraising for Swalwell's 2014 reelection campaign, although she did not make donations nor was there evidence of illegal contributions.

According to Axios, investigators became so alarmed by Fang’s behavior and activities that they alerted Swalwell in 2015 to their concerns and gave him a “defensive briefing.” Swalwell then cut off all ties with Fang and has not been accused of any wrongdoing, according to an official who spoke to the outlet. 

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Fang left the country in mid-2015.

"Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn’t seen in nearly six years — to the FBI," Swalwell’s office told Axios in a statement. "To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."

Fox News' Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.