Author: NOVA Corp

The Southern Poverty Law Center more than doubled its revenue in the months following the deadly 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally — a surge now drawing renewed scrutiny after a Department of Justice indictment alleged the group paid an informant tied to the event’s organizers.

The 2017 rally, which left one woman dead, became a cultural flashpoint over White nationalism and political violence, driving widespread condemnation and a surge in donations to civil rights groups, including the SPLC. The fallout also shaped the 2020 presidential election, as President Donald Trump’s response — including his remarks about “very fine people” on both sides — was hammered by the left, with former President Joe Biden later citing Charlottesville as a reason he entered the race.

“For years, the Left used the ‘Jews will not replace us’ 2017 Unite the Right rally as proof of rampant antisemitism on the Right. Turns out, it was underwritten by the Leftist SPLC, which allegedly funded organizers, supervised racist posts, and coordinated transportation. Wild,” journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon wrote on X, one of many conservatives who argue the allegations raise questions about whether the SPLC’s use of paid informants may have played a role in amplifying or facilitating extremist activity.

According to the indictment from the Department of Justice, the SPLC paid an informant network dating back to the 1980s, including a “covert network” that was associated with or infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan and other groups at the organization’s direction.

THE NEW MAFIA: TRUMP, CIVIL RICO AND THE GLOBAL INTIFADAw

One source, identified as “F-37,” was part of an “online leadership chat group that planned the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ event.”

“[F-37] attended the event at the direction of the SPLC. F-37 made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event for several attendees. Between 2015 and 2023, the SPLC secretly paid F-37 more than $270,000.00.”

A spokesperson for the Southern Poverty Law Center told Fox News Digital the organization is reviewing the charges and called the allegations “false,” defending its work monitoring extremist groups and saying its use of informants “saved lives.” The group said it plans to vigorously defend itself and continue its mission of combating hate.

While the indictment alleges the SPLC paid informants tied to individuals involved in White supremacist groups, including organizers of the Unite the Right rally, Fox News found the organization’s revenue surged in the immediate aftermath of the Charlottesville violence.

VIRGINIA SLAMMED FOR ‘TRULY DEMONIC’ ELECTION THAT EXCUSED POLITICAL VIOLENCE TO SPITE TRUMP, CRITICS SAY

In 2016, total public support and net assets topped $51 million, while by October 2017, that figure had grown to $133 million, a surge that followed the Unite the Right rally and was driven in part by donations from prominent public figures, including George Clooney and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Clooney said at the time that he and wife Amal “wanted to add our voice and financial assistance to the ongoing fight for equality… there are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”

Cook, who also donated to the Anti-Defamation League after the rally, said that what “occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country. Hate is a cancer, and left unchecked it destroys everything in its path; its scars last generations.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Resorts also donated $1 million at the time, according to records uncovered by Fox News Digital.

Following the 2017 rally, national Democrats latched on to anti-hate messaging proliferated by the SPLC and others.

Many critics lambasted Trump’s initial reaction, in which he observed that some people present before the rally turned violent were opposing the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.

“I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals,” Trump said.

Biden said at the 2024 Democratic National Convention that he “ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville.”

“Extremists coming out of the woods carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ’30s,” Biden said, before characterizing Trump’s comments as an endorsement of White supremacy and violence.

Trump has since referred to criticism of his remarks as the “‘very fine people’ hoax.”

The 11-count indictment charges the SPLC with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, offenses that could carry significant financial penalties, restitution and forfeiture if proven in court.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, David Spunt, Jake Gibson and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Senate Republicans pushed their immigration funding plan forward early Thursday, adopting a budget blueprint after an all-night vote series that sets up billions for ICE and Border Patrol while sidelining Democrats.

Senate Republicans adopted their budget resolution, which tees up funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, and effectively cuts congressional Democrats out of the process entirely.

It’s the first major step toward unlocking the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are diving into once again after Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without stringent reforms.

Despite Republicans largely being on the same page on the approach, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against the budget blueprint.

SENATE GOP LAUNCHES ALL-NIGHT VOTE-A-RAMA TO FUND ICE, BORDER PATROL THROUGH END OF TRUMP’S TERM

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., panned Republicans for moving to spend billions in taxpayer dollars rather than addressing rising costs.

“America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you’re here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country,” Schumer said.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., countered that ICE and Border Patrol agents weren’t the problem, “Democrats are.”

“Today’s Democrats are a rogue and radical party,” Barrasso said. “You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking. You deserve the tools and support from Congress necessary to carry out the mission Congress has given you. Our country depends on you.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS DIVISIONS SIMMER

The Senate GOP’s plan would fund both agencies for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Republicans want to front-load the agencies with over $70 billion out of concern that Democrats would never agree to allocate taxpayer dollars to them again.

Lawmakers dashed through amendment vote after amendment vote, with Democrats teeing up several add-ons to the budget blueprint designed to attack Republicans.

Several of the Democratic amendments targeted affordability and economic issues in the country, and all failed along party lines.

But the night wasn’t without a dash of drama.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who has pushed to broaden the scope of the forthcoming reconciliation package despite GOP leadership and the White House wanting to keep it narrowly tailored to immigration enforcement, threatened to derail the process.

REPUBLICANS EYE ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS FOREVER OVER FEARS DEMS WILL DO IT AGAIN

He wanted to include a swath of amendments that ultimately wouldn’t have been considered germane to the resolution and were destined to fail without support from Democrats. One of those add-ons was a version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

“If you don’t want to vote for it, don’t,” Kennedy said. “All I ask you is to think about it, to trust our Rules committee, to follow your heart, but take your brain with you. Because the American people, both Democrats and Republicans and independents, are questioning our elections.”

His amendment ultimately failed.

Meanwhile, adoption of the budget resolution doesn’t immediately kick off reconciliation. The House will now have to adopt the same blueprint or modify it — the latter would kick the resolution back to the Senate and trigger another marathon vote session.

While Republicans are moving forward with the process in response to Democrats not budging on ICE and CBP funding, some are grappling with the ramifications it could have for funding the agencies and, more broadly, the rest of the federal government going forward. 

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital that she was “disappointed that we are where we are, but I understand the need to fund these portions of this agency.”

“I’m really disheartened, because I think it fundamentally changes the way that we move forward with appropriations, and not for the better,” Britt said. “And I’m not for that at all.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to push for wildfire relief funding, marking a rare moment of cooperation after months of clashes.

Bass shared a photo on X showing her and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger meeting with Trump and senior administration officials in the Oval Office.

Bass and Barger said the meeting included a “positive discussion” about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding and rebuilding efforts following last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires.

“This afternoon we met with President Trump and Administration officials to advocate for families who lost everything,” they said in a joint statement. “We had a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe – and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on L.A. families.”

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“Our job is to fight for our communities,” they added. “When it comes to this recovery, our federal partners are essential, and we are grateful for the support of the President.”

The meeting comes after a yearlong standoff between California leaders and the Trump administration over wildfire recovery funding and the federal government’s role in rebuilding efforts.

The fires scorched more than 37,700 acres — which is larger than Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios combined — and destroyed more than 16,200 structures. The fires caused tens of billions of dollars in damage, and rebuilding efforts are ongoing as residents navigate insurance claims and rising costs.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR CALLS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SOURCE OF ‘DISORDER’ AFTER ICE RAID OUTSIDE GOV. NEWSOM EVENT

FEMA announced more than $3 billion in aid last June, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom later sought $33.9 billion in additional federal funding, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More recently, Newsom criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over delays in releasing more than $500 million in FEMA funding tied to wildfire recovery.

KAREN BASS’ 2021 TWEET COMES BACK TO HAUNT HER AS LA RESIDENTS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

Bass, who has clashed with the Trump administration in recent months, including over immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles, drew criticism from some online following the meeting.

Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor, mocked Bass on social media, posting “MAGA KAREN” in response to the Oval Office photo and accusing her of aligning with Trump ahead of the election.

He added, “Karen Bass sold her soul to Trump in a last-ditch desperation move ahead of the election LMAO.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Bass’ office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

An analyst with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was arrested Tuesday on allegations that he sexually abused a woman while off duty, police told Fox News Digital Wednesday. 

Tauhid Dewan, 28, is accused of inappropriately touching a 40-year-old woman’s private area during a late-afternoon rush-hour subway ride in Queens, according to local outlet PIX11. 

The victim was reportedly a random woman, the outlet added, citing sources who said she and the suspect were strangers. 

A spokeswoman for the office told Fox News Digital that the staffer has since been suspended.

MAN ARRESTED IN NYC STRANGULATION DEATH OF WOMAN FOUND OUTSIDE TIMES SQUARE HOTEL

According to the New York Police Department, Dewan was arrested around 5 p.m., possibly after returning from work.

PIX11 added that the arrest occurred minutes after the incident, which allegedly took place on a No. 7 train near the Junction Boulevard station.

He was subsequently arrested by the NYPD Transit Bureau and is facing multiple charges, including forcible touching on a bus or train, third-degree sexual abuse, and second-degree harassment involving physical contact.

He was also charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17, suggesting a minor may have been nearby and either witnessed the alleged conduct or was placed at risk by it.

ERIC SWALWELL FACES MANHATTAN SEX ASSAULT PROBE AFTER ENDING CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS

Law enforcement sources said Dewan has no prior arrests, local outlets reported.

According to city records, Dewan has worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as a senior investigative analyst for nearly four years, since July 10, 2022.

His arraignment in Queens Criminal Court was scheduled for Wednesday, according to state records. 

Senate Republicans are inching closer to funding federal immigration operations for years to come, but first they have to plow through a marathon of votes Democrats plan to weaponize against them.

The Senate officially launched a “vote-a-rama” for Republicans’ budget resolution, the blueprint guiding the GOP’s push to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s presidency.

But, first, lawmakers must grind through amendment after amendment from Senate Democrats — and some Republicans — before voting to adopt the resolution.

SENATE GOP BLOCKS FIFTH DEM BID TO END TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS DIVISIONS GROW

Some Republicans unhappy with the limited scope of the GOP’s latest budget reconciliation push have vowed to force votes on amendments addressing economic issues and a provision set to expire in July that prohibits Medicaid funding from going to abortion providers.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would not block amendments from his own party from reaching the floor.

“We’ll see what our colleagues come up with, but we’re talking to them and their offices about strategy and the best way to move forward in order to ultimately succeed — and that is to get it passed in both houses and signed [into law],” Thune said.

SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS DIVISIONS SIMMER

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus intend to use the opportunity to attack Republicans on several issues, including the war in Iran, affordability and other concerns tied to Trump’s agenda.

Schumer said Democrats plan to “show the contrast” between the parties over Republicans’ reconciliation plans, which they intend to use to inject tens of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol over the next 3½ years.

“We are for reducing costs for the American people — whether it’s housing, healthcare, electric bills, groceries or childcare,” Schumer said Wednesday. “And they are funding a rogue police force that is not even popular with the American people. And we’re going to keep at it.”

REPUBLICANS EYE ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS FOREVER OVER FEARS DEMS WILL DO IT AGAIN

Senate Democrats have teed up several amendments, including proposals aimed at forcing rebates for small businesses affected by Trump’s tariffs, addressing rising grocery costs and renewing their push to extend the long-expired Obamacare enhanced premium tax credits, a fight from last year that led to the longest full government shutdown in history.

Republicans turned to reconciliation after months of avoiding the maneuver after congressional Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection without stricter immigration enforcement reforms, including warrant requirements and rules requiring agents to remove their masks.

Senate Republicans unveiled their budget resolution Tuesday in a bid to meet Trump’s June 1 deadline to have the full package on his desk.

The measure directs the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to each craft legislation providing $70 billion in funding for the agencies. Republicans are ultimately eyeing up to $80 billion for immigration enforcement.

Once the vote-a-rama ends and the budget resolution is adopted, it will head to the House. After the House adopts it, Congress will begin the process of crafting a reconciliation package without Democratic input.

FIRST ON FOX: A Mexican national who voted illegally in U.S. elections and falsely claimed to be a citizen has been convicted and could face removal under federal immigration law.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ceballos-Armendariz, a lawful permanent resident who has held a green card since 1990, pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election conduct following prosecution by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.

Officials said Ceballos-Armendariz unlawfully voted multiple times and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on voter registration forms, including a 1999 application in which he affirmed he was a citizen of the United States.

He later applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2025. DHS said he falsely stated on that application that he had never claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

CONSERVATIVE LEGAL GROUP PRESSES AGENCY TO ACT ON TRUMP’S VOTER CITIZENSHIP MANDATE DESPITE COURT INJUNCTIONS

Under federal immigration law, false claims to U.S. citizenship can make a noncitizen removable, though DHS has not detailed any potential action in this case.

“This alien has now been convicted of illegally voting in American elections, voting in American elections,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country.”

Records provided by DHS and reviewed by Fox News Digital show Ceballos-Armendariz checked “yes” when asked if he was a U.S. citizen on a Kansas voter registration form and signed to affirm the information was true.

‘ESSENTIAL TO OUR NATION’S SOVEREIGNTY’: NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

On his naturalization application, however, he marked “no” when asked whether he had ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen despite his prior voter registration.

DHS said Ceballos-Armendariz also has a prior criminal conviction, having been found guilty of battery in 1995.

President Donald Trump has made election integrity a central focus of his administration, with officials pointing to enforcement actions like this case as part of broader efforts to prevent noncitizens from participating in U.S. elections.

Existing federal law — 18 U.S.C. § 611: “Voting by aliens” under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 — prohibits noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents, from voting in elections for all federal offices.

GRAHAM EYES ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ ON TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

“Nothing is more fundamental than the integrity and security of our elections,” Bis said. “That’s why the Trump Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, commonsense legislation that requires voters to present photo ID and implements other critical measures to protect federal elections from fraud. 

“Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”

Despite the IIRIRA, since April 2025, more than 24,000 potential non-U.S. citizens have been identified on voter rolls through the SAVE program and referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further investigation, according to DHS. 

Officials said more than 60 million voter verification queries have been processed during that time.

Federal officials say the system allows states to verify citizenship status and prevent unlawful voting, and they continue to urge broader adoption nationwide.

Peeling concrete, exposed steel rebar, rust-streaked electrical equipment and vents patched together with layers of duct tape are among the problems hidden beneath the Trump Kennedy Center, according to photos, project materials and board minutes obtained by Fox News Digital as officials push to temporarily shut down the building for major repairs.

The Trump Kennedy Center released documentation Wednesday of what it described as “decades of deferred maintenance and critical infrastructure needs” as part of a $257 million renovation effort, offering an unusually detailed look at the condition of the venue as leadership pushes forward with the project.

The disclosures come as debate intensifies over the plan to close the center for up to two years. While there appears to be broad agreement that the building requires significant repair, some Democrats have objected to the speed of the process.

According to March 16 meeting minutes reviewed by Fox News Digital, Democrat Rep. Joyce Beatty said she had “no opposition for the need for repair,” but “strongly opposes voting on a closure.”

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The minutes also say Beatty argued there had not been “enough time to review, study, and discuss” the proposal.

The condition of the building is evident in images and video provided by the Trump Kennedy Center, which show water damage affecting electrical systems, rusted infrastructure and large sections of concrete where internal steel supports are exposed.

Project materials describe “2,000+ pound soffit panels” that have reached “end-of-life” and “present a public safety risk,” along with “hundreds of structural failure points” in areas such as the parking garage. Officials also cited “extensive water infiltration,” deterioration in electrical rooms beneath entrances and long-term damage affecting the center’s iconic white marble exterior as well as concrete and core structural systems.

LEAVITT SHOWS OFF US TRIUMPHAL ARCH, WITH PLANS TO BE RELEASED THURSDAY

Officials have warned that without repairs, deteriorating structural elements, water-damaged electrical systems and heavy overhead components nearing “end-of-life” could pose potential safety risks to visitors and staff.

The scope of the problems outlined in the new materials echoes earlier warnings from center leadership. In February, officials told Fox News Digital that decades of neglect had left the building in “extremely poor condition,” citing broken elevators, failing HVAC systems and deferred maintenance needs they warned could threaten the venue’s very survival.

“We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble,” Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a previous statement to Fox News Digital.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO DEPART TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER AMID REPORTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

Executive Director Matt Floca said the decision to close the center is driven by the scale of the work required.

“So the recommendation was just natural: you shut the building down, temporarily, and you make this investment, and then you reopen,” Floca said.

President Donald Trump has also previously argued that closing the building is necessary to complete the work efficiently. “If we don’t close, the quality of construction will not be nearly as good,” he said.

KENNEDY CENTER DIRECTOR ENCOURAGES REPUBLICAN ATTENDANCE, SAYS ‘EVERYONE IS WELCOME’

Floca said the scope of the repairs is based on long-standing assessments of the building’s condition, not a newly developed plan. “The maintenance needs were all developed previously in a 2021 Comprehensive Building Plan,” he said.

Asked how visitors have reacted when seeing the condition of the facility up-close, Floca said there has been “surprise across the board — ‘How did we get here, right?’”

Tours of the Trump Kennedy Center have been offered on a bipartisan basis to lawmakers, along with donors and other key stakeholders, as officials seek to demonstrate the extent of the damage firsthand.

The sessions began earlier this month while Congress was in recess and included staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as offices representing both parties in the House and Senate and a representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

Opponents have also raised concerns about process and oversight, and a lawsuit brought forth by the National Trust for Historic Preservation has argued that major changes could affect the historic integrity of the building.

“We’re maintaining the JFK bust where it is,” Floca told gathered press on Wednesday. “The memorial at large will stay the same. All of the quotes and everything on the marble on the exterior building, none of that’s changing.” 

The physical deterioration outlined in the renovation plans comes even as the center has reported financial gains under current leadership. In December, officials told Fox News Digital the Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling the previous year’s total.

The fundraising gains followed leadership changes that saw Trump take on a more direct role in the institution, including as chairman of its board.

Congress has appropriated roughly $257 million for the work through the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law last year.

Renovations are expected to begin after July 4, 2026.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the center,” Floca said Wednesday. “All of these improvements that we need to make are real, are needed. And we have the timeframe to do it. I’m incredibly excited about it.”  

The Office of Rep. Joyce Beatty did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing a fresh ethics complaint urging the Justice Department to investigate whether he leveraged his position in Congress to promote a startup business he was running on the side with his chief of staff.

The complaint comes as Swalwell has also been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct in recent weeks, allegations he has denied despite conceding he has made poor choices in his past with women.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a conservative ethics watchdog, filed a complaint Wednesday calling on the Justice Department’s Office of Congressional Conduct to investigate allegations Swalwell was personally pitching Findraiser, an artificial intelligence political fundraising tool, to Democratic lawmakers, staff and campaigns.

Included in FACT’s complaint is Yardena Wolf, Swalwell’s former chief of staff and also the co-founder of Findraiser. Wolf eventually left her chief of staff role to lead Swalwell’s now defunct gubernatorial campaign.

SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

Swalwell already is facing multiple investigations related to sexual misconduct allegations, including from the Los Angeles County District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney and the Justice Department. 

But, prior to sexual misconduct allegations against him coming to light earlier in April, the former member of Congress also was facing heat for his behavior on Capitol Hill as it pertained to promoting Findraiser.

One Democratic operative reportedly told news outlet NOTUS that Swalwell was “peddling the s— out of” Findraiser on Capitol Hill.

NOTUS released a pair of reports in March, one of which cited Federal Election Commission data that showed the artificial intelligence-powered political fundraising tool was getting business from some of Swalwell’s longtime political allies, including Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. 

NOTUS published a follow-up days later based on interviews with a half dozen Democratic Party political operatives and other unnamed sources and reviews of emailed communications and texts. Both Swalwell and Wolf allegedly would send texts to Democratic staff and lawmakers about their company, according to the subsequent report, in addition to promoting it during in-person interactions.

FACT’s ethics complaint seeks to have the allegations revealed by NOTUS and substantiated by other outlets investigated.  

“Public office is a position of trust, and no individual should be able to skirt accountability for potential abuses of power simply by resigning,” FACT’s Executive Director Kendra Arnold said in a press release accompanying the group’s complaint. 

“The reported actions using an official position to promote a personal business and potentially misusing government resources raise serious legal concerns that warrant a thorough investigation by the Department of Justice. Ensuring accountability in cases like this is essential to maintaining public confidence in government.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s legal team, Wolf and Findraiser for comment but did not receive any responses. 

The Justice Department also did not provide any comment on whether it plans to look into FACT’s complaints.

While lawmakers on Capitol Hill are legally allowed to earn passive income through businesses they own, House rules do prohibit lawmakers and their staff from using their “political influence, the influence of (their) position … to make pecuniary gains.” 

According to the 2022 House Ethics Manual, lawmakers and their staff are expected to avoid even an appearance that they may be using their political influence for financial gain.

SCHIFF LAUNCHES LEGAL DEFENSE FUND IN RESPONSE TO CLAIMS TRUMP IS ‘WEAPONIZING’ JUSTICE SYSTEM

“In any event, the Standards Committee routinely advises Members and staff to avoid situations in which even an inference might be drawn suggesting improper conduct,” the manual states. 

In addition to allegedly pitching the company in-person, Wolf, while still working as Swalwell’s chief of staff on Capitol Hill, allegedly emailed congressional campaigns offering demos for Findraiser and texted congressional staff below her to set up business meetings with her and Swalwell to discuss their startup company, according to the accusations reported by NOTUS.

Democratic operatives described Swalwell’s promotion of Findraiser on Capitol Hill as “relentless” and said he “aggressively” peddled it to Democratic candidates for office and senior campaign officials, according to NOTUS. One of the operatives told NOTUS that being approached by Swalwell or his staff about his company has been “surprisingly universal” in some Democratic circles.

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“They were really hitting up everyone,” a source with knowledge of the situation told the New York Post. “I bet every California member probably got outreach.”

The New York Post also reported it had spoken to sources who indicated Swalwell allegedly would use his company as a legislative negotiating tactic.

“The only way you get Swalwell to sign on to your bills is if you take this weird call from his chief of staff,” a source reportedly told the New York Post.

According to NOTUS’ reporting, Findraiser received about $60,000 from more than a dozen Democratic campaigns. Meanwhile, Swalwell’s congressional financial disclosures have listed his company as being worth between $200,000 and $500,000.

NOTUS did indicate that it was informed by a former Swalwell spokesperson in March, who has since left his position, that both Swalwell and Wolf consulted with the necessary House Ethics personnel about Findraiser. The spokesperson also claimed that Swalwell receives no income from the company.

“These alleged facts deserve to be criminally investigated,” FACT’s complaint to the Justice Department argues. “This is just one issue of many during Swalwell’s problematic tenure in Congress, which among others includes being accused of using campaign funds to pay for a Brazilian nanny in our country illegally and being removed from the House Intelligence Committee over his association with a Chinese spy.”

Fox News Digital previously reported on the other ethics complaints Swalwell has faced that are mentioned in FACT’s letter to the Justice Department.

Swalwell was accused of paying his nanny, Amanda Barbosa, with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly did not have valid work authorization. Following multiple complaints against Swalwell over the matter, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed to Fox News that it has referred the matter to the Department of Homeland Security for investigation.

Swalwell’s removal from the influential House intelligence committee in 2023 involved concerns about the former congressman’s actions related to a decade-old scandal over his ties to a suspected Chinese spy. 

The matter gained new life amid sexual misconduct allegations that came to life earlier in April as FBI officials weighed whether to release documents about Swalwell’s relationship with the alleged spy, Christine “Fang Fang” Fang. 

Republicans are cheering a circuit court victory in Virginia that showed Democrats’ redistricting efforts in Virginia are not quite over yet despite a referendum to accept a new map drawn by Democrats getting approved by voters on Tuesday.

Virginia Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley ruled Wednesday, one day after the Democrat redistricting referendum passed, that all votes for or against the proposed redistricting amendment were unconstitutional, citing rules that impose certain requirements that the referendum did not meet. There are currently a handful of cases making their way through the Virginia court system challenging various aspects of the referendum, including the one Hurley ruled on Wednesday.

“The Tazewell Circuit Court just ruled the referendum unconstitutional. The Judge entered an injunction blocking certification of the election & denied a motion to stay pending appeal. A final order will be entered once drafted, & it will be immediately appealed,” former Republican Attorney General of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli, said on X following Hurley’s ruling. Shortly after the ruling came down, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat who beat GOP incumbent Jason Miyares in November, indicated his office will indeed “immediately file an appeal.”

ERIC HOLDER ACCUSES GOP OF ‘STEALING SEATS’ WHILE DEFENDING ‘FAIR’ DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING PUSH

Cuccinelli, who currently heads the American Principles Project Election Transparency Initiative, indicated Wednesday that there are currently four constitutional challenges to the referendum making their way through the courts, three of which are challenges to the amendment process itself.

“Virginia has a process to amend its constitution that has the General Assembly pass a proposed amendment and then have a state election — an intervening election — where the new House of Delegates was elected and so forth and then that new General Assembly comes back and has to pass the exact same amendment,” Cuccinelli told CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings on Wednesday.

“The General Assembly passed the amendment for the first time — called first passage, very creative — on Halloween. Well, these same Democrats, five years ago, gave us a 45-day election. So, voting began September 19th of 2025, over a million people had already voted before first passage, and they want to treat that election as the intervening election. They’re going to have a very difficult time with that,” he continued.

Cuccinelli added that there are other “equally difficult” constitutional challenges that Democrats are facing in this legal battle, which he said he expects to move quickly through the courts. Cuccinelli told Jennings he expects a final ruling on the matter by May.

NEWSOM TURNS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING VICTORY INTO WARNING SHOT FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Shortly after news of the Virginia circuit court ruling in Tazewell, Jones announced that his office would be immediately appealing the measure. Jones argued that “an activist judge” should not have the power to veto “the People’s vote.”

“Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote,” Jones said Wednesday following the ruling. “We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court.”

Democrat strategist Adam Parkhomenko mirrored Jones’ criticism after the news broke Wednesday, but also said he has expectations that Republicans’ legal challenges will not hold muster in court.

“Virginia voters spoke. MAGA lost. And now a rogue Republican judge is trying to override the will of the people because they didn’t like the outcome,” Parkhomenko said on X. “That’s not democracy. That’s desperation.”

Parkhomenko added that he has “full confidence a higher court will overturn this nonsense quickly, and the will of Virginia voters will prevail.”

“Nice try,” the Dem strategist added.

Fox News has learned a high-ranking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official is on administrative leave after an investigation was launched into the leader’s alleged “sugar daddy” relationship, lavish spending and drug use, according to a DHS official.

The probe unfolded after a formal complaint was filed against Julia Varvaro, 29, the DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism, the Daily Mail first reported.

The man at the center of the allegations, described as a divorced father named “Robert,” told the outlet he spent $40,000 on her during a three-month relationship that began on dating app Hinge before discovering she had a profile on a website called Seeking, which markets itself as “a space where love and luxury meet.”

He alleged that her Seeking profile was under the name “Alessia” and sought “mutually beneficial” relationships with “masculine men.” Varvaro firmly denied the claims when questioned by the Daily Mail.

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The outlet reported that, prior to the pair’s falling out, Robert took Varvaro on numerous posh getaways to Aruba, Italy and Switzerland, purchasing her a $3,500 Bottega handbag and taking her to the high-end jewelry store, Cartier.

He added that, during their travels, Varvaro flexed her government position in TSA security lines and claimed she could get VIP access to the Winter Olympics, allegedly bragging, “ICE works for me.”

In his formal complaint to the DHS Office of the Inspector General, which was reviewed by the Daily Mail, Robert said he believes Varvaro is “under financial stress” and that her actions pose a severe national security risk.

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He also told the outlet he witnessed her use marijuana on nearly a dozen occasions and take recreational Xanax.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Varvaro described the situation as a “mad ex-boyfriend putting crap together. I didn’t know it was bad to go on vacation with your boyfriend.”

The outlet said Varvaro admitted to being expedited through Dulles Airport security but denied using marijuana, seeking VIP Olympic access or having sugar daddies pay for her college, insisting that her request to Robert for a credit card in her name was “kind of a normal thing.”

The scandal comes less than a month after photos were released of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon, which appeared to show him cross-dressing in private messages to three different women.

Fox News previously reported rumors of an alleged affair between Noem and her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, contributed to her dismissal from her DHS post.

She now serves as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas.

The CIA, DHS Office of the Inspector General, Hinge and Seeking did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Varvaro could not immediately be reached for comment.