Dem Rep Linked To Chinese Spy Says He Is A ‘Victim’ of Intelligence Weaponization

Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was once targeted by a Chinese spy, described himself as a victim of the American intelligence community’s abuses on Wednesday.

Swalwell, who was targeted by a Chinese influence operation focused on up-and-coming Bay Area politicians, described himself as a “victim of the weaponization of the intelligence community,” which looked into his relationship with the spy, Fang Fang, according to Axios. He made the comments during a Judiciary Committee markup hearing for the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act, which would rein in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and shut backdoors allowing the government to purchase Americans’ data from technology firms without a warrant.

“I want to speak, though, to a larger concern that I have with the bill,” Swalwell said. “And I first want to speak personally, because there’s nobody on this committee who has been a bigger victim of the weaponization of the intelligence community than me. I have had my cell phone data subpoenaed and procured by the Trump administration. In 2012, a district with 40% Asian-Americans, an Asian volunteer helped my campaign. I was later asked by the FBI to help the FBI understand who this person was.”