by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – Newly declassified FBI records released by the White House detail what officials describe as a years-long Chinese intelligence effort to penetrate American political circles through sexual relationships, campaign donations, and strategically placed interns.
The nearly 150 pages of documents focus heavily on Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, a Chinese national whom investigators linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, Beijing’s primary civilian intelligence agency. The records were released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force under an operation known as “Rusty Thumbs.”
According to the records reported by The Epoch Times, former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) acknowledged during FBI interviews that he previously had a sexual relationship with Fang. Swalwell told investigators that Fang never requested classified information and that he did not provide her with classified material or political favors.
The documents also indicate that Fang used political relationships to help place interns in Swalwell’s campaign and office. FBI investigators additionally examined suspected campaign-finance violations involving Fang, including allegations that she offered to reimburse individuals for political contributions—an arrangement that could constitute illegal foreign or straw donations.
Investigators ultimately closed one campaign-finance inquiry after failing to establish sufficient evidence within the investigative timeframe, according to the documents. Fang later left the United States after becoming aware she was under federal scrutiny, and the Justice Department did not prosecute her.
The White House said the files provide a case study of how Beijing sought access to America’s political system by cultivating relationships with rising political figures. Officials said investigators are continuing to examine whether similar efforts involving Chinese-linked interns reached other federal and state political offices.
The revelations underscore longstanding concerns among U.S. counterintelligence officials that the Chinese Communist Party employs methods far beyond traditional espionage—using personal relationships, political networks, financial influence, and access to emerging leaders to expand Beijing’s reach inside American institutions.
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