Report: Alleged Chinese spy got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell that federal investigators had to step in to alert him

An alleged Chinese spy operating in California's Bay Area during the Obama administration got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) that federal investigators had to step in and alert the congressman.

The suspected foreign agent, Christine Fang, "targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage" as part of a years-long operation run by China's main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Axios reported Monday night.

She first came into contact with Swalwell and other up-and-coming politicos through her role as the head of two different student groups at California State University East Bay, where she enrolled in 2011. Using her position in the groups, Fang gained access to political events and fundraisers for several prominent Democrats in the area, including Democratic California Reps. Swalwell, Ro Khanna, Judy Chu, and former Rep. Mike Honda.