Pam Bondi firing row: Eric Swalwell clears air on Christine Fang ‘tip off’ reports; mocks Trump | Hindustan Times

President has fired the Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday. Trump removed her from the post, reportedly due to his dissatisfaction with her work and also his belief that Bondi had tipped off Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell about the FBI’s plan. However, Swalwell has strongly denied claims.What Swalwell is sayingWhen a CNN reporter asked Swalwell directly whether Bondi had tipped him off about an investigation linked to an alleged Chinese spy, his answer was blunt."No, absolutely not. In fact, it's laughable that the president was tweeting about this at 4:45 in the morning yesterday," Swalwell said.“Again, we are at war and the FBI is focused on interfering in a California governor's race where I am leading, when they should just focus on the homeland. They should just focus on bringing down the gas prices and protecting the homeland,” he added. In a separate interview with MS Now, Swalwell was equally dismissive of the claims. "The attorney general did not tip us off," he said, adding that the story only became public because FBI agents informed The Washington Post themselves.“No one in her orbit tipped us off. It was FBI agents who tipped off The Washington Post because they saw this effort by Kash Patel and Donald Trump to try and interfere in a California governor's race that I have been leading.”Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign also flatly denied any contact from the administration. "We had no heads-up by anyone in the administration. None," Beasley said, calling the stories "laughable if not so outrageous" and accusing the administration of “looking to blame anyone but the right people, themselves.” Also Read:Pam Bondi’s first reaction to Trump's firing decision revealed: 'Tried to change his mind’Why was Bondi fired?Pam Bondi was removed from her position for several reasons. Many politicians say President Trump was frustrated with her overall performance, especially her handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s files and her perceived failure to go after his political opponents.A senior Trump administration source told The New York Post that the decision had been planned for a while and wasn’t mainly about Eric Swalwell.“The president has been considering this change for a long time,” the source said, adding that Trump still respects Bondi personally but was unhappy with her work. Earlier reports also confirmed that Bondi mishandled the Epstein files which contributed to Trump’s frustration.Also Read: Pam Bondi humiliated after firing; DOJ staff wipe traces of ex-AG from office - WatchThe Christine Fang connectionThe controversy centers on Eric Swalwell’s past connection with Christine Fang, also known as "Fang Fang," who is a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. According to Mediaite, Fang used to build relationships with California politicians between 2011 and 2015, helped raise money for Swalwell’s 2014 congressional campaign and even placed an intern in his office.Swalwell has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to Fang. He ended all ties with her immediately after federal agents warned him. The House Ethics Committee later closed its investigation, following an FBI probe that resulted in no charges. Federal officials have said Chinese operatives like Fang usually focus on building long-term influence through networking and not committing immediate crimes.Even though the case is closed, FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly taken a personal interest in releasing files about Swalwell’s past dealings with Fang. Swalwell called this politically motivated, sending a cease and desist letter to Patel’s office and saying it’s “a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for Governor of California.”