A California gubernatorial hopeful’s questionable payments raised eyebrows anew as further scrutiny revealed how much his campaign was shelling out to his own wife for childcare.
Controversy and California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D) name have often come hand-in-hand over the years, especially where it concerns his past relationship with purported Chinese intelligence honeytrap Christine Fang, otherwise known as Fang Fang.
While that story recently resurfaced as the FBI appeared ready to release relevant case files, so too did Swalwell’s Sacramento hopes bring to light the at least $6,000 his wife was paid by the gubernatorial campaign for caring for their kids.
The pertinent details were highlighted on X by the account Apple Lamps which had a “wtf” reaction to a list of three payments made out to Brittany Swalwell from Eric Swalwell for Governor 2026 totaling $6,068, “Swalwell uses campaign cash to pay his wife for watching their children????”
Swalwell uses campaign cash to pay his wife for watching their children???? wtf pic.twitter.com/TM1vIw4zSC
— Apple Lamps (@lamps_apple) April 4, 2026
As previously reported, as one of many California Democrats hoping to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Swalwell was previously called out in a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint that was ultimately dismissed over roughly $580,000 in expenses paid out in the 2022 election cycle for luxury accommodations like five-star hotels, gourmet meals, and his exorbitant childcare payouts.
The latter was recorded as more than $200,000 reimbursed from his campaign, with the bulk between 2019 and 2025 going to a nanny, Amanda Barbosa, in the amount of $102,000. An additional $57,000 went to a Washington, D.C. daycare center, while some $22,000 was marked as “Other childcare reimbursements.”
Diving into the finances of the congressman’s family, the Sacramento Bee detailed, “The returns show Swalwell, one of several leading candidates for California governor, and his wife, Brittany Swalwell, took home an average income of more than $444,000 during the period. That income would place them among the top 5% of households in Washington, D.C., where the couple owns a $1.2 million home; Swalwell also rents a room in a Livermore house owned by another family …”
The Bee went on to detail that $145,000 of that income was funds pulled out of retirement accounts between 2020 and 2022, that the lawmaker zeroed his withholdings in 2023, and from 2022 to 2024 he earned $32,000 through self-employment in what was described as “Administrative Office Work.” The source of the latter income was said to be an LLC connected to the global production company Spycraft Entertainment, a production company run by former intelligence officers out of the United States and the United Kingdom.
As for his wife, her salary was reported as falling between $200,000 and $250,000 in those years, including the $6,000 evidently paid out to babysit her own children.
Reacting to the reports, a statement from Swalwell campaign spokesperson Micah Beasley contended, “Unlike others in this race, Congressman Eric Swalwell is not a billionaire. He is a working parent raising three young children with his wife while serving in public office. Like millions of Californians, they balance mortgage payments, student loans, child care, and everyday expenses.”
Meanwhile, questions remain as to whether or not the lawmaker was even eligible to run for governor, and hold his current position, for that matter, as Swalwell has been accused by the rival campaign of former 2020 presidential hopeful, billionaire Tom Steyer.
It has been alleged by Steyer that the congressman appears to “live in California on paper only, making him unlikely to meet the basic residency requirements to run for Governor,” while his attorney Ryan Hughes implored California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) to “enforce a dormant residency requirement in the governor’s race” and “allow for robust legal proceedings as to whether Swalwell is eligible to serve as Governor.”
While some likened the lawmaker to being his own private “Quality Learing Center,” he demanded that all convicted fraudsters be held accountable, regardless of their station.
When are we going to hold our politicians accountable for the fraud, waste and abuse? Until crime comes with consequences, we’re going to keep attracting grifters and fraudsters for our elected positions.
— GoldenState (@state69235) April 5, 2026
Wait… campaign funds paying for babysitting? 😳 That’s eyebrow-raising
— Mindset insider 🌟 (@okadikeluc81) April 5, 2026
Plain as day fraud. Doesn’t even try to hide it. How is that legal????? Put this on a billboard!!
— billiamz 🇺🇸 (@billiamz15) April 5, 2026
Eric Swalwell using donor money to pay his wife for “childcare” is exactly why people don’t trust politicians anymore.
Campaign funds aren’t a family payroll system.— Grey Sheep (@_kingmiichael) April 5, 2026
— Apple Lamps (@lamps_apple) April 5, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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