Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California was removed from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The action was taken by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in April 2026, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Speaker. Johnson cited a 2021 decision by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi to remove certain Republican members from committees as precedent for the move.
Swalwell, first elected in 2012, has been a member of the Intelligence Committee since 2015. His removal is part of a broader pattern of partisan disputes over committee assignments in the House of Representatives. In a statement, Swalwell criticized the decision as politically motivated.
The congressman had previously faced scrutiny in 2020 regarding his past contacts with a Chinese intelligence operative, an issue raised by Republican critics. Swalwell cooperated with a bipartisan House Intelligence Committee review at the time, which found no wrongdoing and allowed him to retain his security clearance and committee seat.
