Democrats are accusing the FBI of attempting to smear California Rep. Eric Swalwell, one of the leading Democratic candidates in his state's gubernatorial race and an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. The allegations stem from a report by the Washington Post that the FBI Director Kash Patel is seeking to publicly release a decade-old investigative file regarding Swalworth's past connection to a woman suspected of being a Chinese intelligence operative. Despite this, Swalway has not been accused of wrongdoing. His attorneys have sent a cease and desist letter to Patel, stating that releasing the files would violate multiple laws, including the federal Privacy Act of 1974. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, criticized the FBI's actions, accusing it of using the resources of personnel vendetta to attack political and DOJ files. California Sen. Adam Schiff called the situation an "abuse of this Administration" that “is as dangerous as it is unlawful as it attempts to distract from disastrous policy failures.