by David Lindfield
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is facing renewed scrutiny over his ties to China after an investigation found that a firm with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) funneled money into the Democrat congressman’s California gubernatorial campaign.
A paper trail revealed that Swalwell’s campaign has received thousands of dollars from CCP-linked operatives.
Records show that Swalwell took $10,000 from the California office of a powerful Beijing-linked law firm with deep connections to the CCP.
Campaign finance filings released this week show Swalwell’s campaign received $9,999 on December 30 from DeHeng Law Offices PC, which listed its address as Pleasanton, California.
According to the firm’s website, the location operates as DeHeng’s “Silicon Valley Office” and appears to employ just one attorney.
That attorney is Keliang “Clay” Zhu, a partner at the firm who donated an additional $5,000 to Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign in November.
Zhu has previously contributed more than $10,000 to Swalwell’s House campaigns.
Law Firm’s Roots Trace Back to CCP Ministry of Justice
A review of DeHeng’s history shows the firm was originally founded as the China Law Office, a subsidiary established by the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Justice in the early 1990s, before being rebranded as DeHeng Law Offices in 1995.
While the firm presents itself as independent, it maintains extensive operations across China and continues to advertise longstanding cooperation with Chinese government departments and major state-owned enterprises.
Zhu’s professional biography highlights his work helping Chinese state-owned enterprises and investment funds establish footholds in the United States.
Among the examples he touts is representing “an investment fund of a major state-owned enterprise in acquiring majority shares in one data analytics software company in the Silicon Valley,” a deal he valued at $100 million.