Swalwell's Trump lawsuit won't distract from Chinese spy scandal, Republicans say

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McCarthy calls for removal of Swalwell from from House intel panel

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Republican members of Congress have taken aim at Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., with one of his colleagues on the House Select Committee on Intelligence saying that he doesn’t think Swalwell's lawsuit against former President Trump will "divert attention" away from his relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.

House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, ripped into Swalwell in a statement to Fox News, saying that the California Democrat’s lawsuit "comes across as politically vindictive" against Trump.

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Wenstrup also said that he doesn’t believe that the lawsuit will turn heads away from Swalwell’s previous, scandalous relationship with suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang.

"For many, the lawsuit comes across as politically vindictive against the former president – just like Rep. Swalwell’s false narrative about the Russian collusion fiction," said Wenstrup. "At the same time, I don’t think it will divert attention away from his Chinese spy scandal."

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., also blasted Swalwell, telling Fox News that he "distracted" the country during Trump’s term by claiming the former president "was an agent of the Russian government."

"Eric Swalwell should've come to the Congress and assisted us in focusing on China and their malign influence rather than just trying to smear and undermine the president," said Gaetz. "Swalwell distracted our country for years with the Russia hoax, claiming President Trump was an agent of the Russian government.

"Turns out, his own campaign was infiltrated by an agent of the Chinese government," the Florida congressman continued. "China wins when America is distracted."

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Freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., joined his colleagues in slamming Swalwell, saying that the California Democrat is trying to push a "false narrative" with the lawsuit to distract the public from the "socialist wishlist" his party is trying to ram through Congress.

"Swalwell and the radical left wing of his party know that their socialist wishlist is toxic and unachievable," said Cawthorn. "They understand that the only thing holding the Democratic Party together is hatred of the former president."

"Eric is pushing this false narrative in an effort to distract normal Americans from the Orwellian and authoritarian checklist his colleagues are attempting to ram through Congress," added the North Carolina Republican.

A spokesperson for Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said that the congresswoman is "quite confident President Trump will be very effective making sure the American people know just how compromised Eric Swalwell may be with the Chinese spy Fang Fang."

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Last month, House Republicans requested a briefing from FBI Director Christopher Wray on Swalwell’s relationship with the alleged Chinese spy, asking to be told the "full extent" of Chinese agents targeting lawmakers.

An Axios report last year revealed that Fang had made contact with several politicians that included Swalwell and at least two Midwestern mayors with whom Fang had sexual encounters.

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy filed a resolution last week to pull Swalwell from the intelligence committee.

The measure was ultimately tabled after a narrow vote along party lines. Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.