A Chinese spy reportedly developed intimate relations with California lawmakers at the direction of China’s ministry of state security, a report has revealed.
Axios made the shocking revelation by detailing the alleged work of spy Fang Fang or Christine Fang.
The report said prominent Democrat Congressman and member of House Intel Committee Eric Swalwell was suspected to have been in an intimate relationship with Fang, who left the US in 2015.
The US investigators believe she was also circling close to numerous up-and-coming politicians between 2011 and 2015.
Swalwell, one of the youngest members of the House, was alerted by federal investigators in 2015 and given a “defense briefing,” which resulted in him breaking off ties with the spy. Fang had even reportedly helped him raise funds for his re-election campaign.
That’s not all.
She also fundraised for Tulsi Gabbard, as well as had a romantic or sexual relationship with at least two US mayors from the Midwest.
Fang’s operations ended during the Barack Obama administration after a FBI counterintelligence probe forced her to flee the country. The FBI first discovered Fang while reportedly surveilling a different person.
Axios noted the probe offered another look into China’s efforts to influence US political groups.
Swalwell believes the story has broken out only now because he has been critical of incumbent President Donald Trump. He said: “I’ve spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him. The timing feels like that should be looked at.”
Quoting the development as a well-planned setup he added: “What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do. But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponise someone’s cooperation, they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do, which is to try and discredit someone.”
However, Swalwell is neither the first nor the last political figure to be “honey-trapped” as multiple former intelligence officials surmised such schemes have been carried out by Chinese spies for long and continue even to this day.
