Eric Swalwell Wants To Get Out Of D.C. As Mortgage Fraud Scrutiny Intensifies

After years of getting caught up in controversies and pushing election conspiracy theories in Washington, D.C., California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell wants to go back home full-time.

Swalwell appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on Thursday to announce that he’s running for California governor next year, joining a crowded field of Democrats gunning for the position. He announced the move as he faces a potential Justice Department investigation into allegations that he made false statements on loan documents for his $1.2 million house in Washington, D.C.

Kimmel set up Swalwell’s big announcement by asking the congressman what could be done to push back against President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I love California. It’s the greatest country in the world, greatest country in the world,” Swalwell said. “That’s why it pisses me off to see Californians running through the fields where they work from ICE agents or troops in our streets.”

“It’s horrifying,” Kimmel said.

Swalwell agreed, adding, “It’s awful to look at, and our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector — someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up.”

“We can say that we’re the fourth-largest economy in the world, and we are. I love to brag about that, but what does that mean if we can’t afford to live here?” Swalwell continued. “So I’ve been in these fights as a city councilmember … as a prosecutor in Oakland, and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress, but I’m ready to bring this fight home. So, I came here tonight to tell you and your audience that I’m running to be the next governor of California.”

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His announcement was met with a standing ovation from Kimmel’s audience. Swalwell also posted a video on social media announcing his gubernatorial bid. In the video, Swalwell focused on just two issues: fighting President Trump and making California a more affordable place to live.

Last week, Swalwell claimed that he is a target of political retribution from Trump after the president’s top housing official referred him to Attorney General Pam Bondi over alleged mortgage and tax fraud. The accusations stem from the Democrats’ purchase of a $1.2 million home in the nation’s capital that he reportedly claimed as his primary residence, which would qualify him for millions of dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing, the New York Post reported.

The Daily Wire reached out to Swalwell’s office for comment on his decision to run for governor.

Swalwell has been at the center of multiple controversies since first getting elected to Congress in 2012. The California congressman was a key figure in the Democratic Party who pushed the Trump-Russia collusion hoax during the president’s first term. Swalwell was later slammed for his relationship with a Chinese woman who is suspected of spying for the Chinese Communist Party.

Swalwell enters what is promising to be a competitive race for governor, as numerous Democrats hope to take over for Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited. He joins former Congresswoman Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and billionaire Tom Steyer in the Democratic primary. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are running on the Republican side.