Rep. Peter King Wants Dem Rep. Swalwell Off House Intel

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., on Tuesday called on Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to resign amid reports a Chinese spy infiltrated his office as an intern.

Axios reported earlier this month a Chinese national, suspected of being an intelligence operative, began forming ties with Swalwell before his election to Congress, eventually taking part in fundraising for his reelection campaign in 2014, and helping to place at least one intern in his office.

King wrote in an opinion piece for The Hill that Swalwell "must resign or be removed from the House Intelligence Committee without delay. The disclosure of Swalwell's involvement with a female Chinese communist spy, Fang Fang, a/k/a Christine Fang, was startling enough."

He adds, "Yet even more startling — and inexcusable — is that the congressman was appointed and reappointed to the Intelligence Committee by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.] after his connection with an espionage agent was made known to her."

Pelosi and other members of House and Senate leadership from both parties were made aware of the attempts in 2015.

"In terms of Mr. Swalwell – in the spring of 2015, the leadership of the House and the [Intelligence] Committee were informed that overtures from a Chinese person were being made to members of Congress," Pelosi said in a press conference last week. "When that was made known to the members of Congress, it was over."

Swalwell's office told Axios in a statement: "Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI. To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."

King wrote he "will accept" Swalwell no longer has any involvement with Fang, but said, "Nevertheless, the fact remains that he was compromised and made susceptible to blackmail by the Chinese, who could threaten him with the disclosure of his involvement with their alleged agent. No matter what anyone thinks of Swalwell, his appointment was not a risk worth taking."

• Rep. Banks: Pelosi Has Her Reasons to Keep Swalwell on Intel
• Pelosi Backs Swalwell, Dismisses Concerns About Chinese 'Overtures'