Eric Swalwell Faces Campaign Finance Probe Over Payments To Celebrity Defense Lawyer
California political watchdogs are investigating whether former Congressman Eric Swalwell improperly used campaign funds to pay legal expenses stemming from a series of sexual misconduct allegations that derailed his gubernatorial campaign.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission opened an investigation on May 28 into Swalwell and his 2026 gubernatorial campaign committee over potential violations of state campaign finance laws, according to a letter obtained by The New York Post.
The inquiry originally focused on a reported $40,000 payment from Swalwell’s campaign to celebrity criminal defense attorney Sara Azari, a high-profile lawyer known for representing public figures accused of sexual misconduct.
According to subsequent campaign finance filings, however, payments to Azari grew dramatically. The total amount reportedly exceeded $300,000, prompting additional scrutiny from regulators.
The FPPC first requested documentation regarding the payments on May 1, giving the campaign 14 days to respond. Less than a month later, the agency escalated the matter into a formal investigation.
“At this time, we have not made any determination about the possible violations,” FPPC Assistant Chief Christopher Burton wrote in the May 28 letter.
The investigation adds another chapter to the collapse of Swalwell’s political career.
The former California congressman suspended his gubernatorial campaign on April 12 after multiple women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, including allegations of rape and sexual assault. Reports detailing the accusations appeared in both the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
Four days later, Swalwell resigned from Congress.
The former prosecutor has denied the allegations while acknowledging what he described as “mistakes in judgment.”
Additional reports later revealed that Swalwell allegedly used Snapchat to communicate with women involved in some of the allegations.
Azari aggressively defended her client after the accusations surfaced, arguing that “regret is not rape,” a statement that drew criticism from attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents one of the women accusing Swalwell of misconduct.
Neither Swalwell nor Azari responded to requests for comment regarding the investigation.
The campaign finance probe is expected to focus heavily on whether donor contributions were legally used for expenses tied to personal legal matters rather than campaign-related activities.
Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign attracted support from several prominent Hollywood figures and wealthy donors before it collapsed. Reported contributors included actors Sean Penn, Robert De Niro and Jon Hamm, along with Creative Artists Agency CEO Bryan Lourd, investor Michael Kives, billionaire Ari Emanuel and businessman Stephen Cloobeck.
Despite suspending his campaign months before Election Day, Swalwell still received more than 20,000 votes in California’s primary election.
Campaign filings indicate he continues to control more than $2.6 million in campaign funds.
The FPPC investigation remains ongoing, and no formal findings or charges have been announced.