EXCLUSIVE: Eric Swalwell's iPhone and MacBook Seized Under Secret Federal Warrant as Misconduct Investigation Explodes
Former Congressman Eric Swalwell is at the center of an escalating federal investigation.
Aug. 20 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
Former Congressman Eric Swalwell was targeted by federal investigators armed with a secret search warrant days before agents seized his iPhone and MacBook as part of an escalating sexual misconduct investigation, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to federal court documents obtained by Radar, the government sought the warrant on August 13 in the Northern District of California, with prosecutors simultaneously moving to keep the underlying application under seal.
Feds Moved in Secret
Federal investigators quietly secured court authorization before seizing Swalwell’s electronic devices.
Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson granted the government's request, leaving the allegations and evidence investigators used to establish probable cause hidden from public view.
The sealed court action came just two days before federal agents confronted Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport and seized his electronic devices. A warrant return subsequently filed in federal court reveals agents took a white Apple iPhone, along with its charging cable and wall charger, as well as an Apple MacBook Pro.
The return states a copy of the warrant and inventory was left with Swalwell. The document was filed on August 18, three days after the airport seizure.
Eric Swalwell's Career Downfall
A newly filed warrant return reveals agents seized an iPhone and MacBook Pro from Swalwell.
The court docket identifies the matter as an application by the United States for a search warrant involving "one person and one electronic device" in an investigation citing 18 U.S.C. § 242 and "other offenses."
No criminal charges against Swalwell were publicly listed in the federal court records reviewed by Radar. The federal action marks another dramatic turn for the former California congressman, whose political career unraveled earlier this year following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations.
Radar previously reported Swalwell was forced to abandon his campaign for California governor before announcing his resignation from Congress in April after several women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
What the Court Records Reveal
The federal warrant docket cites 'other offenses' as the investigation remains under seal.
The Democrat has denied the most serious accusations against him while acknowledging what he called past "mistakes in judgment." Weeks after his resignation announcement, Radar revealed additional accusations surrounding Swalwell's alleged use of Snapchat.
Women accused the longtime lawmaker of sending sexually explicit messages, nude images and videos through the social media platform, including allegations that he sent footage of himself masturbating.
One former congressional staffer described what she said began as a consensual relationship after the pair started exchanging flirtatious messages in 2020, before Swalwell allegedly began sending explicit material through Snapchat.
Scandal Engulfs Former Lawmaker
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Swalwell previously faced a wave of sexual misconduct allegations as his political career unraveled.
As the scandal intensified, prominent Democrats began distancing themselves from Swalwell, and he ultimately announced he would leave Congress. The newly uncovered federal court records show investigators quietly sought judicial authorization for a search warrant before taking possession of Swalwell's electronic devices.
What investigators told the judge to justify the extraordinary search remains a mystery.
The underlying warrant application is still under seal, meaning the evidence presented to establish probable cause — and the full scope of what federal authorities are investigating – remains hidden from public view.
For now, the warrant return provides one of the clearest public windows into the probe, identifying the phone and laptop investigators seized while the government's case remains shrouded in secrecy.
