FBI agents raided a $25 million Beverly Hills mansion owned by Stephen Cloobeck early Tuesday morning, according to multiple news reports, in a search tied to the ongoing federal investigation into former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
Cloobeck, a longtime friend who once described Swalwell as his “little brother,” severed ties with him in April after multiple women — five, by current count — came forward with allegations of rape, sexual assault and other misconduct against Swalwell. Swalwell was staying at the Cloobeck mansion at the time the allegations surfaced.
Cloobeck responded by cutting off financial support for Swalwell, demanding the return of a $1 million donation he had made to a Democratic super PAC, and announcing he was leaving the Democratic Party.
The allegations led Swalwell, who is married, to drop out of the California governor’s race and resign his seat in Congress after 13 years in office.
Tuesday’s search of the Beverly Hills property follows an August search warrant executed at Swalwell’s home in Washington, D.C. That same month, the FBI seized all of Swalwell’s electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport.
Swalwell has not been arrested or detained, and he denies all wrongdoing.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have both opened separate criminal investigations stemming from the sexual assault allegations.
Details of the federal investigation remain limited. The August search warrant was reportedly filed under Section 242 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, a federal statute that prohibits officials, including law enforcement, from abusing their authority to deprive someone of their constitutional rights. It is not yet clear how that statute applies to Swalwell’s case.
