Apparently, Rep. Eric Swalwell isn’t doing so well in the financial department. Not only has he accumulated an incredible amount of credit card debt, but he’s also failed to pay off his student loans, and he’s also cashed out his pension, even though he’s earned $174,000 a year ever since 2013. Swalwell is a “longshot” presidential candidate who has apparently qualified for the Democratic Party debates. Even though he has qualified, he is unlikely to point to his own personal finance as a reason to why he should be the next president of the United States.
Ever since he was elected to Congress in 2013, Swalwell has earned quite a nice salary. Before that, while he worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County and a town council member in Dublin, California, he earned approximately $118,000 for a year of work.
But according to the Washington Free Beacon, the disclosure of Swalwell’s financial records show that he neglected his responsibilities. Fox News has also independently reviewed his financial records.
Even though he received a significant increase in pay, Swallwell owes between $50,000 and $100,000 in student loan debt, which is the same amount that he owed eight years ago. Despite the increase of pay, Swalwell cashed in his Alameda County pension fund in 2013, which was worth between $15,000 and $50,000.
In 2016, Swalwell pointed out that he has an investment in a Vanguard retirement account worth between $15,001 and $50,000. But as Swalwell made that investment, he also racked up a credit card bill between $10,001 and $15,000 with American Express and $10,001 and $15,000 with Chase Bank. His financial situation only continued to get worse the next year when his debt with Chase Bank increased to $15,001 and $50,000.
Swalwell also didn’t disclose any of the real estate that he has possession of. According to the Washington Free Beacon, at the current time, Swalwell is renting a four-bedroom townhouse in Washington, D.C. Apparently, Swalwell has been continuously mocked for his failed attempts at being funny, grandstanding, and relentlessly spreading the idea that President Trump or members of his campaign colluded with Russia.
In early May, Swalwell was criticized for his lack of knowledge of the Constitution, while attempting to score political points and complaining that the Constitution doesn’t mention “women”. Several people have pointed out that the Constitution doesn’t mention the word “man” either.
On May 8th, the congressman received backlash from his tweet comparing Pearl Harbor and 9/11 to the Mueller Report. Many people replied to his tweet. One person tweeted, “I’ll take Thousands of people weren’t murdered for $1,000.” Another person responded by tweeting “I need an English-to-English translation here.”
Earlier this year, Swalwell received backlash after he decided not to go to a coffee shop inside of Trump Tower, opting to find another New York coffee shop, instead. In a tweet, Swalwell wrote: “It’s snowing in New York,” he wrote in a tweet. “I need coffee. The closest cafe is inside Trump Tower. This is me walking to an alternative.” Later on, Swalwell admitted that he was rightfully criticized, saying: “I was rightfully skilled about that on Twitter and that’s why I love Twitter. Sometimes it’s just a cathartic place to go, where you can dish it out and you better be able to take it and just move on to the next tweet.”
Last year, Swalwell explained that the U.S. government would use its nuclear weapons in a “war” against those who support the Second Amendment that are refusing to give up their firearms. This statement came after an advocate for gun rights pointed out that Swalwell once called for gun owners to surrender their assault rifles. In response to Swalwell’s comment, Joe Biggs tweeted: “So basically @RepSwalwell wants a war. Because that’s what you would get. You’re outta your f—— mind if you think I’ll give up my rights and give the [government] all the power.” Obviously, Swalwell came to his own defense, saying that it would be a “short war” because “the government has nukes,” implying the government would use its nuclear arsenal against the citizens of the United States.
In a statement Swalwell released to Fox News, he pledged to release his tax returns. He continued by saying: “Our country’s leaders should look like America. My grandfather was a mechanic and my dad was a cop. I was the first in my family to go to college, and have responsibly used debt to go from being a paper boy at age 9 to becoming a prosecutor in the town where I grew up. I also worked without pay to seek and earn a seat in Congress.” He continued by saying: “Today, I’m raising two young children, paying off student debt and renting in two of America’s most expensive regions. Unlike our president, I’ve been fully transparent about my finances and will release my taxes. The problem is not that people like me are in government; it’s that most aren’t.”
