Swalwell's campaign allocates $150K to legal fees amid ongoing misconduct probes

Disgraced former Representative Eric Swalwell’s campaign disclosed a $150,000 payment to the law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP for services rendered between May 17 and June 30, according to recent financial disclosures. Swalwell, who has relied on the firm since 2016 and has already paid over $300,000 for legal counsel, continues to use campaign contributions for attorney fees even after resigning from Congress and halting his California governor campaign.

The payments occur as California ethics investigators probe more than $300,000 paid to celebrity defense attorney Sara Azari, who has publicly defended Swalwell. He also faces separate criminal investigations in Manhattan and Los Angeles County over alleged rape incidents. In response, Representatives Ro Khanna and Anna Paulina Luna introduced a bipartisan bill prohibiting the use of federal campaign funds for settlements, private investigators, or lawyers related to sexual-misconduct allegations, allowing reimbursement only if the candidate is cleared of liability. No updates have been provided on the ethics probe.