The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into former Rep. Eric Swalwell, broadening the legal fallout for the California Democrat who resigned from Congress on Tuesday after five women accused him of sexual assault or misconduct.

The federal probe, confirmed by a source familiar with the matter, lands on top of separate investigations already underway in Manhattan and Los Angeles. Swalwell, 45, represented California's 14th District since 2013 and had been considered a frontrunner in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom before the allegations surfaced. He suspended that campaign on Sunday.

Through his attorney, Sara Azari, Swalwell has denied every accusation and vowed to pursue legal action against what she described as a coordinated campaign of lies. She declined to comment on the federal investigation.

The accusations driving the case

The first detailed account came from a former Swalwell aide who told the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN that he assaulted her on two occasions — once in 2019, when she was 21 and working in his office, and again in April 2024 at a Manhattan hotel after a gala. She said she was too intoxicated to consent and had tried to refuse him.

Three other women came forward in the same initial wave, describing unsolicited explicit messages, nude photos, and unwanted advances, some of which they said occurred during his run for governor.

A fifth accuser, Lonna Drewes, held a press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, the day after Swalwell resigned. Drewes, a former model and fashion software entrepreneur, said the congressman invited her to his West Hollywood hotel room in July 2018 under the pretense of picking up some papers. She alleged that he drugged her drink, raped her, and choked her until she lost consciousness. Drewes said she had consumed a single glass of wine that evening, and that she has turned over journal entries, text messages, and photos to investigators. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said Drewes intends to fully cooperate with law enforcement.

Three jurisdictions, three parallel tracks

Each of the investigations is running on its own track. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is examining the alleged 2024 hotel assault, which falls within its jurisdiction, and has publicly urged other potential victims to contact its Special Victims Division.

In California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed its investigation into Drewes' claims is in preliminary stages, with detectives collecting evidence and conducting follow-up interviews. The case will eventually be turned over to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, whose Sex Crimes Division has been assigned to work alongside the sheriff's investigators.

The exact theory federal prosecutors are pursuing has not been disclosed. Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick said in an interview with The National News Desk this week that DOJ involvement made sense given allegations that span New York, California, and Washington, D.C. — circumstances that can trigger federal jurisdiction when conduct crosses state lines or involves the abuse of a position of power.

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that the "door is open to all" who may have information, including Swalwell himself. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, set up a dedicated tip line on Wednesday. Her office told The Hill that calls are still coming in and that it investigates sexual assault complaints vigorously, "irrespective of the name or station of the accused."

A political career unravels in under a week

Swalwell's resignation came with bipartisan pressure mounting and a House Ethics Committee inquiry getting underway. That panel's authority ended once he left office, as its jurisdiction does not extend to former members.

In his resignation statement, Swalwell said he would fight what he called false accusations but also acknowledged "mistakes in judgment," without specifying which. He said he did not want his situation to distract from his constituents' needs.

Newsom has set a special election to fill the seat, with a primary on June 16 and a general on August 18. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has said she is drafting legislation to strip Swalwell of his roughly $22,000 annual congressional pension.

The misconduct case is not the only legal problem tied to his political operation. A recent Federal Election Commission filing flagged by NOTUS showed his House campaign committee spent more than $2,500 on child care expenses during the first quarter of the year — a period when he was publicly running for governor, not reelection. Steve Roberts, an attorney at the conservative firm Lex Politica, said the spending could expose Swalwell and his campaign to "hefty financial penalties" if regulators conclude the funds were used for a different office.

An older controversy resurfaces

The renewed federal scrutiny has also pulled a long-running story back into the headlines. In 2020, Swalwell drew Republican criticism after reports that he had been in contact with Christine Fang — known as "Fang Fang" — a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who cultivated ties with Bay Area politicians between 2011 and 2015. He was removed from the House Intelligence Committee in 2023 as a result.

Patel this week extended an offer for Swalwell to come to the FBI voluntarily to discuss any information he may have, and has previously floated the release of files tied to the Fang matter. No formal charges have been filed against Swalwell in any jurisdiction, and his legal team has given no indication he plans to sit for a federal interview.