Amid the fallout from Rep. Eric Swalwell's resignation after multiple allegations of sexual assault, MS NOW Justice reporter Ken Dilanian was on the network’s Ana Cabrera Reports and alleged Trump's Department of Justice was targeting a Democratic “enemy,” like he was the victim in this scandal. Dilanian and Cabrera also minimized his alleged relationship with Chinese spy Fang Fang. The fallout from the assault allegations had led to Swalwell’s resignation this week, as reports said he had been accused of assault by five women so far. In his resignation letter, he did not take accountability but instead said he resigned because he felt the attention would have him “distracted” from his duties.   On Friday's Ana Cabrera Reports, MS NOW Justice Reporter Ken Dilanian discussed a DOJ investigation into former Rep. Eric Swallwell's sexual assault allegations with the caveat that: "We should also keep in mind here that this is an enemy of the president. This is a Democrat." pic.twitter.com/Nx32VYsmDa — Nick (@nspin310) April 17, 2026   But, still, Dilanian said a Trump Administration DOJ investigation had a caveat to be kept in mind: But we should also keep in mind here that this is an enemy of the president. This is a Democrat. And it's fascinating to me that news of this investigation was so quickly confirmed by Justice Department officials, when we see other questionable conduct around the government that isn't being investigated. Fellow panelist Catherine Christian, a former assistant Manhattan District Attorney, said there was no reason for a federal investigation unless there was evidence of sex trafficking, but acknowledged the fact that in Washington, D.C. sex crimes are charged by the U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro.  After Christian clarified the law, Cabrera turned to help Dilanian’s point of Swalwell as a target of the DOJ amid the credible sexual allegations. She mentioned FBI Director Kash Patel's wish for an investigation of Swalwell’s relationship with Fang Fang before the accusations came out.   As he treated Swallwell like a victim, he continued on as he and host Ana Cabrera also minimized the allegations of Swallwell's relationship with the Chinese Spy Fang Fang. pic.twitter.com/jnuHIHybM5 — Nick (@nspin310) April 17, 2026   Cabrera called the Fang Fang situation a “decades-old investigation into his association with a suspected Chinese intel operative.”  The actual worry with Swalwell and the Chinese spy was related to Swalwell’s placement on the House Intelligence and Homeland Security committees. Nevertheless, Dilanian called the situation “politicized,” but called “the conduct of which Eric Swalwell is accused is horrific.” He moved to discuss Fang Fang and recent FBI interest: But then you have this situation where the FBI is operating in a way that's not on the level, and we already know that they were trying to embarrass him with, as you mentioned, his interactions with a woman who turned out to be a Chinese spy and was essentially expelled from the country. Cabrera injected, “Which was like a decade ago.” Dilanian, in full minimization mode of the scandal, then said:  Exactly. And he was not charged with any wrongdoing in that case. And he remained on the Intelligence Committee in Congress, although Republicans criticized Democrats for allowing that. But there's no evidence that he did anything wrong. He cooperated with the FBI. I mean, it does take on a different cast now that we have these allegations about Eric Swalwell. (...) The last line from Dilanian was a huge understatement. A man with multiple sexual scandals, a now lesser one, the affair with the Chinese spy, and the assault allegations, should have been out of Congress a long time ago, and does not get to play the victim card, even as Dilanian and MS NOW might have wanted to play it for him. The transcript is below. Click "expand" MS NOW’s Ana Cabrera Reports April 17, 2026 10:17:59 AM Eastern (...) KEN DILANIAN: Good morning. Anna. Well, the U.S. Attorney in Washington, Jeanine Pirro, has sort of put out a call to victims to come forward to talk to the federal government. As we understand it, this investigation is being run in conjunction with the one undertaken by the Manhattan District Attorney, and also the sheriff in L.A. Is probing. And, of course, the federal interest here would be interstate crimes, crimes that cross state lines, because sexual assault is a state crime, principally.  But there are - we've seen examples of the federal government prosecuting sexual assault related crimes and human trafficking.  But we should also keep in mind here that this is an enemy of the president. This is a Democrat. And it's fascinating to me that news of this investigation was so quickly confirmed by Justice Department Officials, when we see other questionable conduct around the government that isn't being investigated. ANA CABRERA: Again, New York and LA, Catherine, already launching state probes. Does it make sense that the federal government would also have an investigation going? CATHERINE CHRISTIAN: No. Unless they have some proof that a sex crime occurred through state lines, sex trafficking on federal property, clearly they can prosecute that.  Now, D.C. Is unique because the D.C. U.S. Attorney's office, which is federal, prosecutes basically street crime and other crimes in D.C. So, that would make sense if Jeanine Pirro, who's the United States attorney for D.C., is investigating, if there are allegations that Mr. Swalwell committed a sex crime in D.C.  But other than that, if it's Manhattan, it's State DA’s office la the State DA’s office. It's really rarely a federal crime unless you have some sex trafficking component, which means someone was transported across state lines. CABRERA: And again, all these entities are investigating to determine whether there is enough to prosecute. But would you anticipate the state investigators would be working with federal investigators now? CHRISTIAN: Only if there's some allegations. If someone was raped in Manhattan, there's really no need for federal investigators to get involved unless she was brought to Manhattan from another state, then you'd have that sex trafficking. But if it occurred in Manhattan, if it occurred in LA, those district attorneys can handle the case. CABRERA: And, Ken, you mentioned how Swalwell has been a focus for this administration already before these allegations surfaced, in particular of the FBI Director Kash Patel and Swalwell recently accused Patel of a smear campaign over a decades old investigation into his association with a suspected Chinese Intel operative.  Just after the allegations against Swalwell surfaced this week, Patel said Swalwell would be welcome to sit down with the FBI investigators to discuss these new assault allegations. Is this typical behavior of an FBI director? DILANIAN: No it's not. They tend to never comment on pending cases and pending matters like this. I mean, this thing is so politicized. The conduct of which Eric Swalwell is accused is horrific. Of course, we can all agree on that. But then you have this situation where the FBI is operating in a way that's not on the level, and we already know that they were trying to embarrass him with, as you mentioned, his interactions with a woman who turned out to be a Chinese spy and was essentially expelled from the country -  CABRERA: Which was like a decade ago. DILANIAN: Exactly. And he was not charged with any wrongdoing in that case. And he remained on the intelligence committee in Congress, although Republicans criticized Democrats for allowing that. But there's no evidence that he did anything wrong. He cooperated with the FBI.  I mean, it does take on a different cast now that we have these allegations about Eric Swalwell. But nonetheless, it's just a messy situation when you have an FBI operating the way it is right now. (...)