Former US Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who resigned from Congress and dropped his gubernatorial bid amid sexual misconduct allegations, paid one of his lawyers more than $360,000 combined from his congressional and gubernatorial campaign accounts, according to a Fox News Digital review. The payments, made weeks after he stepped away from public office, have raised questions about their purpose and whether Swalwell was attempting to manage the fallout from the allegations using campaign funds rather than personal money.

Among the payments identified was a $50,000 transfer made on 24 April to celebrity defence attorney Sara Azari, recorded as being for "legal and accounting services". The scale and timing of the payments, coming so soon after his resignation and campaign withdrawal, have prompted scrutiny over the use of donor-funded campaign accounts for matters linked to the misconduct claims against him.