(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Headline USA has obtained and is publishing letters sent to former Rep. Eric Swalwell by California campaign finance regulators as part of an active investigation into payments made to criminal defense attorney Sara Azari, whom he retained amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct.
While the California Post first reported the probe, the letters themselves had not been publicly released until now. The missives came directly from the Fair Political Practices Commission and were addressed to Swalwell and his now-derailed campaign for governor of California.
The first letter was dated May 1 and written by Kendal D. Bonebrake, chief of the FPPC’s enforcement division. It centered on allegations that Swalwell’s campaign may have violated the Political Reform Act, though it did not specify which specific provision of California law.
In it, Bonebrake informed Swalwell that her division had “commenced a commission-initiated complaint regarding” his committee’s “potential violations of the campaign finance provision of the Act.”
Bonebrake cited a $40,000 payment made to Azari for legal expenses. Swalwell’s campaign categorized the payment as purported “professional services.”
Payments to Azari ultimately totaled roughly $300,000 through separate transactions, as first reported by the California Post.
“We are requesting information, including documentation, regarding the $40,000 payment,” Bonebrake wrote, mentioning Azari by name.
Azari is the attorney Swalwell hired after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. Among the accusers were two women who alleged Swalwell had sexually abused them.
Bonebrake wrote that her division would “review the information to determine whether or not to investigate the allegations.”
By late May, the agency had moved beyond its initial inquiry.
In a second letter dated May 28, Christopher Burton, an assistant chief in the FPPC’s enforcement division, noted that the agency had “commenced a commission-initiated investigation regarding your committee’s potential violations of the campaign finance provisions of the Political Reform Act.”
The second letter suggested the agency had escalated the preliminary probe to a formal investigation.
Burton’s letter came seven days after Swalwell’s campaign disclosed an additional $273,351 payment to Azari for “campaign legal compliance.”
Burton emphasized that the agency had not “made any determination about the possible violations” and noted that the letter served as a “courtesy.” He added that investigators may contact Swalwell directly to discuss the matter.
He directed Swalwell to speak with Vanessa Greer, a political reform consultant with the agency, if he had any questions or concerns.
Citing policy against commenting on ongoing matters, the FPPC declined to say whether the probe focused on Swalwell’s classification of the payments or his potential use of campaign donations for personal legal matters.
Swalwell did not respond to Headline USA’s request for comment sent to his campaign treasurer’s email.
Read the letters in full below.
