The Federal Election Commission (FEC) told former Democrat California Rep. Eric Swalwell he must refund contributions from his now-suspended gubernatorial campaign or face an audit, according to a June 15 letter.
Swalwell received the warning following a review of his amended year-end report, dated Oct. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, according to the June 15 FEC letter. The letter includes a list of 16 contributions from individual donors that the FEC noted: “do not appear to have been remedied.” A candidate must refund contributions within 60 days of announcing a decision not to seek office or re-election.
Swalwell received over $30,000 in campaign donations during that period, according to the same letter.
Disgraced Eric Swalwell must return $30k in donations or face the consequences: FEC https://t.co/O7Pyj53QUH pic.twitter.com/bCqH4nbToo
— New York Post (@nypost) June 17, 2026
“Since the candidate is not seeking office and will not participate in the general election, any contributions received for the general election must be returned to the donors, in accordance with 11 CFR 110.1(b)(3).”
“The use of general election contributions to pay primary debts and obligations is prohibited under the Act as such use could result in individuals making contributions with respect to the primary elections in excess of the $3,500 per election limit. The Commission notes your additional explanation regarding the committee’s corrective action taken for some of these contributions,” the FEC letter reads.
“Please inform the Commission of your corrective action promptly by filing an amended report or Miscellaneous Document (Form 99 for electronic filers). If a remedy will be disclosed in a future reporting period, please provide the date and amount of the remedy in your response,” the letter continues. The FEC notes that further action may also be taken. (RELATED: Here’s Where Every California Democrat Stands On The Explosive Eric Swalwell Rape Allegations)
Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress on April 13, 2026, following allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women, including a former staffer. The female staffer alleged that after a night of drinking in New York in April 2024, she woke up to Swalwell having sex with her in his hotel bed, and he purportedly refused to stop after she said “no,” according to CNN. The allegation prompted the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to open an investigation into the congressman.
Swalwell suspended his California gubernatorial campaign on April 12 in a statement he shared on X.
California held a June 16 election to determine who will replace Swalwell for the remainder of the term. Democrat Aisha Wahab advanced to the Aug. 18 runoff, and her competitor is yet to be determined.