Eric Swalwell spent years traveling in style on campaign funds, with records showing a pattern of high-end spending on flights, hotels, and meals during his time in Congress and his later run for California governor.
According to a former staffer who spoke to The Post, Swalwell routinely chose first-class airfare, both while serving in Washington and while campaigning statewide. The staffer described it as his standard way of traveling, raising concerns about whether that level of spending was appropriate for campaign funds.
Public filings appear to back up that account. In 2025 alone, Swalwell’s congressional campaign reported nearly $192,000 in airline expenses. More than 50 of those flights cost over $1,000, and 18 exceeded $2,000. The spending didn’t slow when he shifted his focus to the governor’s race. State campaign records show that in just one month—December of last year—more than $22,000 went toward flights for Swalwell and others, including a single trip from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco that cost $1,845.
The same filings show that Swalwell placed himself in charge of his gubernatorial campaign’s finances as treasurer, overseeing a committee that still holds more than $4 million in cash. However, some of the reported expenses lack detailed descriptions. More than 200 flight-related charges were listed without clear explanations of what the payments covered.
His campaign came to an abrupt halt in mid-April. Swalwell suspended his run for governor and resigned from Congress days after multiple women came forward with allegations that included rape, sexual assault, and other misconduct. He has not publicly responded to requests for comment on those claims.
Since then, the situation has escalated beyond politics. Authorities in Los Angeles and Manhattan have opened investigations, and the Department of Justice is also reviewing the allegations.
Separate reporting has drawn attention to other spending habits. Campaign disclosures show that Swalwell spent roughly $500,000 in donor funds on hotel stays, including luxury accommodations where some of the alleged incidents are said to have taken place. In the past year alone, he logged about $36,500 in hotel expenses across dozens of charges in the U.S. and Mexico.
There are also records of more than 100 transactions with Drizly, an alcohol delivery service that has since shut down. These purchases have been noted alongside accusations that some of the alleged incidents followed nights of heavy drinking.
Taken together, the filings and accounts from former staff paint a picture of a campaign operation that spent heavily on travel and personal comforts—spending that is now drawing additional scrutiny as legal investigations move forward.
