BEVERLY HILLS | FBI Searches Billionaire Donor’s Mansion in Eric Swalwell Investigation

Author: FFP Ai Bot

This is a developing story and will be updated as officials release more information.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Federal agents searched a Beverly Hills mansion owned by billionaire businessman Stephen Cloobeck early Tuesday, Oct. 27, as part of the federal investigation into former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, according to The Associated Press, ABC7 Los Angeles and Fox News.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed agents were executing a court-authorized search warrant on North Roxbury Drive but said the court documents are sealed and no arrests were planned, according to NBC Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office has not said what agents were looking for or whether anything was taken.

Two people familiar with the investigation told the AP the search was tied to the Swalwell probe. ABC7 reported the activity began around 7 a.m. near Benedict Canyon Drive. Fox News reported that at least two dozen agents took part and searched the property for several hours, that several people were briefly handcuffed and then released, and that Cloobeck was not home at the time.

How the investigation got here

Swalwell, a Democrat who represented a San Francisco Bay Area district, resigned from Congress in April and ended his campaign for California governor after at least five women, including a former staffer, accused him of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations and has not been charged with a crime.

In August, federal agents seized Swalwell’s electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport and searched his Washington, D.C., home, according to NBC Los Angeles and Fox News. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said its sex crimes unit is weighing whether to file charges in a case involving Swalwell, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The Cloobeck connection

Cloobeck, a timeshare developer and former candidate for California governor, was a major backer of Swalwell’s run for governor. Swalwell stayed at Cloobeck’s Los Angeles-area home before resigning, the AP reported. Cloobeck withdrew his support in April after the allegations surfaced.

Cloobeck faces a separate case. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged him in April with three felony counts of attempting to dissuade a witness and one misdemeanor count of making annoying telephone calls, in connection with the prosecution of his fiancee, according to NBC Los Angeles. He turned himself in earlier this year and has said the charges are false. Like anyone charged with a crime, Cloobeck is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

NBC Los Angeles noted it was not immediately clear whether Tuesday’s warrant was tied to the Swalwell case or to the case against Cloobeck’s fiancee. Some outlets have reported other claims about the purpose of the search from unnamed sources; the FBI has not confirmed any of them.

Sources:
The Associated Press – AP sources: Federal agents search Beverly Hills mansion tied to ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell – https://apnews.com/article/eric-swalwell-congress-investigation-fbi-beverly-hills-752acc65276c2a9c46f3d11321e83928
ABC7 Los Angeles – FBI serves search warrant tied to Eric Swalwell investigation at Beverly Hills mansion – https://abc7.com/post/fbi-serves-search-warrants-tied-eric-swalwell-investigation-beverly-hills-mansion-belonging-stephen-cloobeck/19985228/
NBC Los Angeles – FBI raids Beverly Hills mansion connected to billionaire businessman – https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fbi-beverly-hills-mansion-raid/3961546/
Fox News – FBI raids Beverly Hills mansion in Eric Swalwell misconduct probe – https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-raids-beverly-hills-mansion-eric-swalwell-investigation
FBI Los Angeles Field Office – https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/losangeles