Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, says it would not surprise him if there are more lawmakers in the Capitol beyond California congressman Eric Swalwell who were compromised by the Chinese.
Swalwell, a four-term Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, reportedly engaged in relations with a suspected Chinese spy, Axios reported last week, by the name Christine Fang, or “Fang Fang.” According to the story, Fang zeroed in on young rising lawmakers and politicians in the California Bay Area and had a sexual relationship with at least two Midwestern mayors.
Johnson, in an interview with the Washington Examiner, referenced information about Chinese espionage in the United States divulged by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“Listen, when you listen to what John Ratcliffe was revealing, and when you listen to Director Wray, that they’re opening up a new investigation on China’s spying every 10 hours, you would think that other members of Congress could be a target,” he said. “I mean, let’s face it, this looks like a long-term grooming process of congressman Swalwell,” Johnson said. “It just didn’t just happen overnight. This was a long-term process identifying somebody.”
He added: “The Chinese are very long-term thinking, very strategic, very smart, and very effective … Who knows who else they kind of groomed for your ever-growing powerful positions? You see what they did with congressman Swalwell. I would be shocked if that’s the only case.”
Sen. Marco Rubio plans to hold a hearing next Congress on Fang if the GOP manages to hold the Senate majority after two Georgia runoffs in early January.
“There are legitimate questions,” Rubio told Fox News during an interview. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything,” he said. “But there are a lot of legitimate questions that I think are important to answer, not just as a member of Congress to his constituency, but in the House if he wants to continue serving in this important role.”
Should Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler hold their current seats, Rubio expects to be named chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Rubio became acting chairman of the panel after North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr stepped down from the post in May, when he was investigated by the Justice Department for insider trading.
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted the director of national intelligence cautioned both chambers’ intelligence panels about the threat of Chinese infiltration into the U.S. government.
“Well, I think the DNI made clear he warned both the House and the Senate intelligence committees about the Chinese threat. And, in particular, this trying to get close to members and to influence them on Beijing’s agenda,” he told the Washington Examiner. “And so, it’s not a surprise to see that happen. Hopefully, we can raise the awareness so more people can be diligent about any of those sorts of encounters because I think they happen when people let their guard down and they don’t understand the nature of the threats, so I think hearings would be good.”
Senate Democrats, however, prefer to wait for more information regarding the alleged Chinese spy who targeted Swalwell and others.
“I haven’t seen independent confirmation from intelligence sources of the Axios report. China’s operations are growing bigger and bolder, but I haven’t seen and I haven’t had an independent briefing on the Axios report,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, also a Connecticut Democrat, agreed, saying, “I think it’s worthy of asking tough questions. I don’t know what the past mechanisms may be to look at it. I’ll have to see what exactly the evidence is.”
