Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and his campaign managed to spend a small fortune last year. And when I say a small fortune, I mean a more than $2.1 million on, well, let’s just call it a mix of work and pleasure.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What could possibly cost that much?” Here’s the breakdown: more than $430,000 on “travel” alone, with a special highlight reel that includes international escapades to the likes of the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. Swalwell’s campaign records have the receipts, showing nearly $350,000 of those travel expenses were lavished on entities based outside our golden state of California.
The House Ethics Manual, our guiding star in these murky waters, states campaign funds can be used for trips to “attend a campaign or political event, or to engage in other campaign activity.” And yes, Swalwell could’ve brought his family along for the ride at campaign expense, thanks to the FEC’s green light on covering travel and related costs for a member’s spouse and minor children at political events.
But here’s where the mystery deepens. It’s as clear as mud whether Swalwell’s family joined him on these globe-trotting adventures, and attempts to get a peep out of his campaign were met with the sound of crickets.
Adam Andrzejewski, the eagle-eyed founder of the watchdog OpenTheBooks.com, dropped this truth bomb: “Since campaign funds are not taxpayer dollars and donations are not tax-deductible, the best way to hold a candidate responsible is to quit donating to them.” He points out the relaxed oversight of political expenditures, given that they’re funded by after-tax private sector donations.
Now, if you thought this was just a travelogue, think again. Swalwell’s campaign didn’t stop at globetrotting. They reportedly enjoyed the “first-class chauffeur experience” to the tune of nearly $29,800 with Sunny’s Executive Sedan. And let’s not forget the spa days, with about $320 spent at the five-star Salamander Resort and Spa in Virginia and another $515 at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELBut that’s not all, folks. Swalwell’s campaign also dished out more than $20,000 on expenses labeled as gifts and gestures. And here’s a kicker: nearly 45% of the gift expenses were listed as being $100 or more. Talk about generosity!
Childcare didn’t escape the spending spree either, with more than $54,000 allocated across Iowa, California, and Washington, D.C. Swalwell has three kids between the ages of six and two, and in 2022, the FEC approved his request to use campaign funds for overnight childcare. Yet, it remains a mystery whether these expenses were for his children or his staffers.
Swalwell’s spending on childcare was a headline in itself, accounting for nearly 60% of all congressional campaigns’ childcare expenses in 2023.
But let’s not forget that Swalwell is no stranger to the spotlight. His ties to alleged Chinese spy Christine Fang once drew the eyes of the House Ethics Committee, which ultimately took no further action. That’s because Nancy Pelosi was Speaker. Swalwell cut ties with Fang in 2015 after a briefing from federal investigators and wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. It turns out Swalwell was the typical gullible slob the Chinese would target to obtain pillow talk information about our government.
So there you have it—a tale of campaign spending that reads more like an adventure novel. Through all the luxury and childcare extravagance, Swalwell’s campaign expenditures remind us of the complex dance between public service and private funding. The difference being, if Swalwell were a Republican, they would already be doing an investigation into his financial disclosures.
