Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is raising eyebrows over a ‘bizarre inconsistency’ in his campaign’s Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, listing several different reasons for payments to a Haitian American staffer, totaling over $360,000. FEC filings from Swalwell for Congress and his Remedy PAC, dating back to 2021 and as recently as last month, show over 75 payments to an individual named Darly Meyer, with various reasons given for the disbursements. Individual payments vary from as little as $53 to over $12,000. Based on the payments, Meyer has earned varying amounts each year, including over 27 payments last year totaling over $120,000. He is also on pace to make over $120,000 in 2025. The FEC filings list several different reasons for the payments, including travel expenses, car service to security services to salary, and various expenses such as ‘personal travel expense reimbursement,’ ‘event flowers reimbursement’ and postage.
Swalwell has faced previous scrutiny for his campaign’s lavish spending, with reports indicating his team has spent thousands on luxury hotels, high-end car services, and private yacht charters. For instance, his campaign spent nearly $17,000 on a San Francisco-based yacht charter company, Just Dreaming Yacht Charters, as a fundraising expense in October 2023. These expenditures have drawn attention in the context of the broader debate over campaign finance transparency and the use of public funds for campaign-related expenses.
The campaign’s financial choices have raised questions, particularly regarding the classification of expenses. For example, the campaign initially described some of Meyer’s payments as ‘security services’ but later categorized others as ‘salary,’ leading to calls for further clarification on the legitimacy and purpose of these payments. Meanwhile, the campaign has not provided a clear justification for these discrepancies, which has prompted calls for an investigation.
Swalwell’s campaign also faces scrutiny for its connections with other organizations. Darly Meyer, in addition to his role in the campaign, owns a limousine service called CYD Global Car Service, which offers luxury transportation and corporate shuttles. He is also an administrator of a Facebook group called ‘CaliHaitians – Haitians in Az, Ca, Nv, Hi, Or, Wa,’ which is described as a ‘progressive community’ of Haitians in the U.S. The group emphasizes forging partnerships with ‘head members of groups/organizations that are able to provide professional services to strengthen the community.’ The group includes members such as Guerline Jozef, the co-founder and executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), which focuses on advocating for migrant communities and challenging border policies such as Title 42 and Remain in Mexico.
Swalwell also took to X (formerly Twitter) in response to Fox News Digital’s inquiry, suggesting that the reporter might have asked him why he spent $350,000 on security. He responded by implying that the reporter should ‘send [the reporter] the bill.’ However, Fox News Digital reviewed California’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services records, and it appears that Darly Meyer does not have a security license. This has further fueled concerns about the legitimacy of the payments and the financial transparency of the campaign.
Hans von Spakovsky, a former FEC commissioner and now a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, commented that the alleged inconsistencies are of a nature that should catch the attention of the FEC and potentially lead to an investigation. Von Spakovsky emphasized that such irregularities could prompt the agency’s auditing arm to scrutinize whether the payments were legitimate and if they were made to a legitimate contractor. The potential for such an investigation has added to the controversy surrounding Swalwell’s campaign financial practices.
This is not the first time that Swalwell’s campaign has drawn attention for its financial choices. Earlier reports have highlighted the campaign’s significant expenditures on luxury accommodations, including stays at renowned hotels like the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, the Hotel La Maison Champs-Elysées in Paris, and others. The combination of these allegations and the recent FEC scrutiny has intensified the public’s interest in the campaign’s financial transparency and the ethical implications of the spending.
Skeptics argue that the campaign’s financial decisions reflect a broader pattern of what they describe as wasteful spending in politics. Critics have pointed to the lavish expenses as a sign of financial irresponsibility and a lack of oversight, prompting calls for stricter regulations on campaign finance practices. These concerns align with the ongoing national debate on the ethics of political fundraising and the use of public resources for campaign-related expenses. The potential for legal or political consequences for such discrepancies continues to be a topic of significant interest in both political and media circles.