The Department of Homeland Security has opened an investigation into claims that embattled California Democrat Eric Swalwell improperly employed a Brazilian nanny, according to officials.
Swalwell is accused of hiring the nanny to care for his children and allegedly continuing to employ her even after her work authorization expired in 2022, according to a report by the California Post. The inquiry was launched after United States Citizenship and Immigration Services referred the matter to DHS. News of the investigation surfaced shortly after Eric Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign for California governor amid separate allegations of sexual misconduct.
Morning Digest: Eric Swalwell drops bid for governor after women accuse him of s-x–l assault https://t.co/dVFIbDrU53
— Dr. Patsy “Resistant Kitty” Evans (@HarmonyUsInc) April 13, 2026
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Eric Swalwell, 45, wrote in a post on X confirming he was stepping back from the race. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” added the married father of three.
Eric Swalwell’s decision came as pressure mounted from former allies and others urging him to exit the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, and just one day after the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed it was investigating an allegation that Swalwell s-x–lly assaulted an accuser in New York City in April 2024.
“United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has been gathering information regarding allegations that Congressman Eric Swalwell hired a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization,” DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement to the outlet. “These allegations are serious. USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation.”
“Federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States,” Bis added. “No employer, including a member of Congress, is above the law.”
Exclusive | Eric Swalwell paid illegal Brazilian live-in nanny under the table with campaign funds, complaint alleges #NannyGate #SirFartsAlot https://t.co/YtR64BccfG
— Chance Buchman (@ChanceBuchman) April 13, 2026
According to reports, DHS received a complaint in February alleging the nanny, Amanda Barbosa, “appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization.”
Swalwell hired Barbosa, 33, to care for his three children in 2021. A native of Rio de Janeiro, she entered the U.S. on an au pair visa and was paid $3,914 in campaign funds that year, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data. Records show she received $46,930 in campaign funds the following year.
Her au pair visa expired in 2022, after which Eric Swalwell began the process of sponsoring her for a green card, according to a permanent labor certification application.
While her application was pending, Barbosa enrolled at a community college, according to her LinkedIn profile, which meant under student visa rules she was not permitted to work off campus. However, social media posts from her now-deleted Facebook account appeared to show her continuing to care for the children of Eric Swalwell at multiple family events over the next two years — including photos taken at the annual White House picnic in both 2023 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Eric Swalwell announced Sunday that he was suspending his California gubernatorial campaign after four women accused him of s-xual misconduct — including allegations of r-pe. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it was probing allegations that he r-ped a former employee at a hotel room in New York City in April.
“Survivors of s-xual ass–lt and those who know about such allegations are encouraged to reach out to our Special Victims Division,” a district attorney’s office spokesperson said in a statement. “We have specially trained prosecutors, investigators and victim counselors ready to assist you in a trauma-informed and survivor-centered way.”
