Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Loreben Tuquero
By Loreben Tuquero May 30, 2023

Claim that California Rep. Eric Swalwell is facing charges lacks proof

If Your Time is short

  • There is no evidence that Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing charges.

Did Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., lie during a House hearing and face charges as a consequence? That’s what a Facebook post suggested. 

"'THEY DEFUND F.BI’ Swalwell DESTROYS his career after lying to Jim Jordan...faces CHARGES INSTANTLY," read the caption of a May 26 Facebook video.

The post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

The video was clipped from a Feb. 28 House Judiciary Committee hearing, led by committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The hearing, on the judiciary authorization and oversight plan for the 118th Congress, does not show that Swalwell "faced charges instantly" after he spoke.

We found no court records, news reports, or other evidence that Swalwell faced charges after he spoke at the hearing. 

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

A few days before this claim circulated, news reports and a statement from Swalwell revealed that the House Ethics Committee ended a two-year investigation into Swalwell’s conduct in connection with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative and decided against further action. 

We rate the claim that Swalwell is facing charges False.

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Loreben Tuquero

Claim that California Rep. Eric Swalwell is facing charges lacks proof

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up