FEC Records Reveal Unusual Spending Patterns in Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Payments

Newly released Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal an unusual financial pattern involving Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics. According to the filings, Swalwell’s campaign and his affiliated political action committee, Remedy PAC, have made more than $360,000 in payments since 2021 to a California man for a wide variety of oddly labeled purposes.

The recipient, Darly Meyer of North Hollywood, operates a transportation business known as CYD Global Car Service. Between 2021 and September 2025, Swalwell’s committees issued over 75 separate payments to Meyer. These disbursements range from as little as $53 to more than $12,000, with expense descriptions that vary widely—covering “security services,” “salary,” “travel reimbursement,” “personal travel expense reimbursement,” “car service,” “event flowers reimbursement,” and even “postage.”

FEC filings show that in both 2024 and 2025 alone, Meyer received more than $120,000 from Swalwell’s committees. The varied nature of the payments has drawn scrutiny from campaign finance observers and ethics experts, who say the irregularities may warrant investigation by federal regulators.

Hans von Spakovsky, a former FEC commissioner and senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, described the records as “bizarrely inconsistent” and said they should prompt the FEC’s enforcement division to review the matter. “When you see multiple payments to the same individual under changing expense labels, that’s exactly the kind of irregularity that calls for closer scrutiny,” he explained.

When questioned about the payments, Swalwell gave a brief response: “Darly protects me and my family.” However, a search of the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services revealed no record of a state-issued security license for Meyer.

Public business records show that CYD Global Car Service markets itself as a luxury chauffeur and corporate shuttle provider serving clients throughout California. Beyond that, Meyer is listed as an administrator for “CaliHaitians,” a Facebook group that describes itself as a progressive online community for Haitian Americans in the western United States.

The payments to Meyer come amid broader criticism of Swalwell’s campaign spending habits. Past FEC filings reveal a pattern of high-end expenditures on travel, entertainment, and accommodations. In 2023 alone, his campaign reported nearly $90,000 in travel-related expenses during the final quarter of the year.

Among the more eye-catching entries were nearly $17,000 in payments to Just Dreaming Yacht Charters, a San Francisco company that advertises luxury private outings for groups of up to 40 guests. That same year, the campaign also spent about $1,700 at Dubai’s five-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, along with charges at several luxury hotels in San Francisco, Austin, and New York City.

Earlier filings from 2022 showed more than $60,000 in travel expenses incurred in just six weeks, including over $1,700 spent at the upscale Hotel La Maison Champs-Élysées in Paris.

These reports have fueled claims from conservative watchdog groups and political opponents that Swalwell’s committees operate as “personal slush funds” rather than legitimate campaign organizations. Critics argue that the payments lack transparency and appear inconsistent with the stated purposes required by campaign finance laws.

Von Spakovsky said the pattern of Meyer’s payments underscores a deeper issue with transparency. “If these were legitimate business transactions, there should be consistent records—contracts, invoices, or receipts—to support the campaign’s filings,” he said. “When descriptions change from ‘security’ to ‘flowers’ to ‘postage,’ that’s a red flag.”

Swalwell, who currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, has long been a lightning rod for Republican criticism. In 2020, U.S. intelligence officials revealed that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, known as Christine “Fang” Fang, had developed ties to Swalwell earlier in his political career, reportedly assisting with fundraising. Although Swalwell was never accused of wrongdoing and said he fully cooperated with the FBI, House Republicans cited that relationship as justification for removing him from the House Intelligence Committee in 2023, labeling him a “national security risk.”

Now, the irregularities in Swalwell’s campaign spending are expected to attract further review from the FEC. If the agency determines that any of the payments were improperly categorized or lacked supporting documentation, Swalwell’s committees could face penalties or be required to reimburse the funds.

As von Spakovsky noted, “If these payments were genuinely for security or other legitimate campaign purposes, there will be proof. If not, that’s when you start looking at potential violations of federal election law.”