Eric Swalwell used his past relationship with Katie Miller to hide files on Chinese spy: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: A new report says former Democratic Rep Eric Swalwell leaned on his previous relationship with Katie Miller, who’s now married to senior Trump aide Stephen Miller, to try to stop the release of some potentially embarrassing FBI files.

The New York Post reported that these files dealt with Swalwell’s earlier interactions with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese spy whose ties to American politicians raised a lot of eyebrows in Washington. Swalwell admitted he knew Fang but said he ended things when the FBI gave him a heads-up.

Report details effort to keep files private

In early 2026, the report says FBI Director Kash Patel pushed to make files about Swalwell and Fang public.

Some people raised concerns that putting those files out there might look like an attempt to target one of President Trump’s political opponents.

Swalwell’s team argued that releasing the files would basically turn the Justice Department into a political weapon. They also pointed out that because of his past relationship with Miller, the files could be pretty embarrassing for him.

Miller, who used to work on Capitol Hill before joining the Trump administration, apparently didn’t even know the Justice Department was involved until a reporter reached out to her.

Swalwell and Miller’s relationship happened before she ever met Stephen Miller.

“The Department investigates crimes irrespective of politics,” a DOJ spokesperson told The Post.

Eric Swalwell's China ties remain under scrutiny

“I was an intern working on Capitol Hill,” Miller posted on X about the situation. 

Swalwell’s connection to Fang hit the headlines back in 2020. Reports showed that between 2011 and 2015, Fang raised funds for Swalwell and even got at least one intern into his congressional office.

Federal officials kept an eye on Fang and didn’t like what they saw. Once the FBI warned Swalwell about her, he said he cut off all contact. Nancy Pelosi stood by him, too; she backed him up and made sure he stayed on the House Intelligence Committee.

Now, the story’s taken a new turn. The latest report shifts the spotlight to how the FBI’s findings were handled, and digs into claims that Miller’s past with Swalwell factored into the arguments about releasing that material. The controversy keeps evolving.

Ultimately, the files were not released. Pam Bondi was attorney general at the time. “The Department investigates crimes irrespective of politics,” a spokesperson for the DOJ told The Post. 

And a source familiar said the department was “not aware of communications from Swalwell’s lawyers regarding Miller’s presence in the files.”