Exclusive | Eric Swalwell under investigation for $300K payments to celebrity lawyer Sara Azari

California political watchdogs are investigating whether Eric Swalwell’s doomed gubernatorial campaign illegally used donor cash — a huge chunk of which came from Hollywood A-listers — to cover his legal bills after numerous women accused the ex-congressman of rape, sexual assault and other deviant behavior.The Fair Political Practices Commission launched an investigation into Swalwell and his 2026 campaign committee for governor on May 28 over potential violations of California’s campaign finance law, according to a letter obtained by The Post.The probe initially centered on a $40,000 payment Swalwell’s campaign made to celebrity criminal defense attorney Sara Azari for legal expenses, which was reported in a mid-April campaign statement. But in more recent fillings, Swalwell’s payments to the pitbull attorney Azari — who specializes in representing public figures accused of sexual misconduct — exploded to more than a quarter-million dollars, bringing the total tab above $300,000. The FPPC first demanded answers on May 1, asking Swalwell’s campaign to provide documentation about the Azari payment within 14 days.Less than a month later, the agency notified Swalwell that it had escalated the matter into a formal investigation.“At this time, we have not made any determination about the possible violations,” Christopher Burton, an assistant chief for the FPPC, wrote in the May 28 letter.The investigation marks a new front in the shocking collapse of Swalwell’s political career, which imploded in April after a wave of sexual misconduct allegations turned the Democratic firebrand from gubernatorial contender into political radioactive waste.Swalwell, a former prosecutor before running for Congress, suspended his campaign for governor on April 12 after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN detailed allegations from multiple women accusing the Bay Area congressman of sexual misconduct, including rape and sexual assault. Four days later, Swalwell o...