Embattled California representative Eric Swalwell is under investigation related to his employment of a Brazilian nanny.
Politico reported that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency is investigating whether Swalwell illegally employed the woman years ago.
The allegation compounds to backlash against Swalwell, who announced that he was suspending his campaign for governor following allegations of sexual misconduct.
"I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that's my fight, not a campaign's," he wrote on X.
The allegations have come from a former staff member who told the San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in following an event in 2024. Following that report, 50 former staff members submitted a statement to the New York Times urging Swalwell to resign from Congress.
As for the report on the nanny, the Department of Homeland Security in February received a complaint that states that Swalwell continued to employ the nanny after her visa expired in 2022. The complaint alleges that Swalwell knew the visa had expired but continued to employ her until 2025.
"USCIS has been collecting information on the allegations involving Congressman Eric Swalwell hiring of a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization," DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement to POLITICO. "These allegations are serious. USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation."
"Federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States," Bis told the outlet. "No employer, including a member of Congress, is above the law."
