Rep. Eric Swalwell's private AI company raises money, questions

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SACRAMENTO — During the Los Angeles writers’ strike in 2023, Democratic Rep.Eric Swalwell wanted to reach out to his donors in Hollywood and ask what he could do to help them.

But he didn’t have an easy way to find the screenwriters who backed his many campaigns.So Swalwell and his congressional chief of staff launched an AI technology company that sifts and analyzes campaign fundraising data.

The company has since been used by dozens of political campaigns, including by Sen.Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep.

Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles).Even Swalwell’s current campaign for California governor hired the artificial intelligence company, called Findraiser.But some details of Swalwell’s private venture remain unclear, including the company’s investors.

Craig Holman, a governmental ethics expert with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, said it’s common and legal for candidates to use their own businesses to promote their campaigns or the campaigns of others, as long as all business interactions are charged at market value.He said Swalwell can talk about his business privately but cannot do so in relation to his role in Congress, to avoid running afoul of ethics rules barring using one’s position for personal monetary gain.Holman called it “odd and politically unwise” that Swalwell’s business will not publicly disclose all of its investors.

Swalwell, who has represented Northern California in Congress since 2013, is among the top Democrats in the governor’s race, according to a recent poll, but thus far none of the candidates has a breakaway lead.Findraiser is close to profitability, his onetime chief of staff, current campaign manager and Findraiser CEO Yardena Wolf said in a podcast interview that aired in October.The company received more than $67,400 from congressional campaigns in the 2025-26 cycle, according to filings with th...