Eric Swalwell’s lavish spending habits with donors’ campaign cash continue to surface, the most recent a whopping $40,000 to a Los Angeles attorney to defend him on television against sexual assault charges.
Swalwell tapped cash from his ill-fated campaign for California governor to pay the five-figure sum to attorney Sara Azari, who says she specializes in “allegations of sexual misconduct in a post-#MeToo landscape,” according a report by the California Post.
Azari came to his defense in an interview with NewsNation, infamously saying “regret is not rape” as she claimed Swalwell’s alleged victims were simply ashamed of consensual sexual activity with the Congressman.
“The fact that, you know, a day later, years later, or whatnot, you maybe had shame around what you did, or maybe you were in a relationship and shouldn’t have done what you did, doesn’t make it rape,” she told the network, where she is also a contributor.
“I think it demonstrates a tremendous amount of accountability, not because he’s done these things and he’s stepping down, but because how could he properly defend himself and represent his constituency with these serious allegations pending,” Azari added.
Azari’s appearance on his behalf did not prevent the northern California Democrat’s political career from tanking after allegations surfaced from several women, including an LA model who claimed Swalwell drug, raped, and choked her in a West Hollywood hotel.
Criminal investigations have been launched in Los Angeles and New York, as well as a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe underway into the alleged conduct.
Swalwell has denied all the criminal allegations, only acknowledging “mistakes in judgement I’ve made in the past.”
Going high-end with campaign donor’s cash appears to be the default mindset for the former congressman.
As Breitbart News recently reported, Swalwell also spent a mountain of cash from his congressional campaign on hotels, food, alcohol, and babysitters after he stepped out of that race in November to run for California governor instead.
Campaign finance laws dictate the money raised prior to an abandoned campaign can only be spent on specific uses, such as “winding down office expenses, contributing to other candidates, and donating to charity,” according to the Post article.
In the first quarter of the year, the democrat spent over $75,000 from his congressional campaign, according to the New York Post’s examination of FEC filings. The tabloid reported Swalwell spent thousands on hotels, food, drinks, Uber and Lyft rides, and airfare.
Swalwell has disappeared from public view since the allegations erupted and his Los Angeles attorney began speaking for him.
The California Post reported this week that his family were spotted at Mexico’s Los Cabos International Airport after enjoying a week-long luxury escape at a resort dubbed ”a billionaire’s playground.”
Reportedly, Swalwell was not with them.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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