Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) gubernatorial campaign is continuing to receive financial support from Keliang “Clay” Zhu, a California-based attorney affiliated with a prominent Beijing law firm that has longstanding ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Campaign finance records show Zhu pumped another $25,000 into Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign earlier this month.
The contribution follows a $5,000 donation in November and more than $10,000 previously given to Swalwell’s House campaigns.
Zhu is a partner at DeHeng Law Offices PC, a major Beijing-based firm.
The firm’s website lists a “Silicon Valley Office” in Pleasanton, California, which appears to be staffed solely by Zhu.
DeHeng was originally founded as the China Law Office, a subsidiary established by the CCP’s Ministry of Justice in the early 1990s before being renamed DeHeng Law Offices in 1995.
While the firm presents itself as independent, it maintains cooperation with Chinese government departments and major state-owned enterprises, and several of its China-based attorneys have held roles within Chinese political bodies.
Background on Zhu’s Work
According to his professional biography, Zhu has represented Chinese state-owned enterprises and investment funds seeking to expand into the United States.
His bio highlights representing an “investment fund of a major state-owned enterprise in acquiring majority shares in one data analytics software company in Silicon Valley,” valued at $100 million.
Another biography states that Zhu “has assisted Chinese companies and funds to complete more than $9 billion investments in the fields of chips, unmanned vehicles, new energy, artificial intelligence, industrial automation, and biopharmaceuticals in the United States.”
It further notes that, “On behalf of Chinese enterprises, he has negotiated with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Treasury and other organizations for many times and achieved compliance plans, which greatly reduced the compliance risks for Chinese clients in the United States.”
Zhu has also advised “a governmental investment fund from Shenzhen for its compliance with CFIUS regulations in the U.S.” and represented “WeChat users in a historic lawsuit that sued President Trump and successfully stopped his WeChat ban in 2020.”
At the time, the Trump administration raised concerns that WeChat’s data collection practices could enable the CCP to access Americans’ personal and proprietary information and potentially conduct surveillance or disinformation operations.
Zhu has publicly criticized state-level efforts to restrict foreign land ownership by nationals of countries deemed foreign adversaries, describing a Texas law banning Chinese nationals from owning or leasing land as “unfair, unconstitutional, and un-American,” according to AsAmNews.
Broader CCP Links
DeHeng attorneys have held roles within the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), described on its website as a “key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation” under CCP leadership.
U.S. officials have identified the CPPCC as a central component of the CCP’s United Front strategy, which seeks to influence foreign institutions and policy environments.
For example, Zhixu Wu, a senior partner in DeHeng’s Kunming office, serves on committees within the CPPCC and previously received recognition tied to programs approved by the CCP’s United Front Work Department.
Renewed Scrutiny of Swalwell
Swalwell’s interactions with Chinese nationals have drawn scrutiny before.
In 2020, it was reported that a Chinese national, Christine Fang, also known as “Fang Fang,” had gained access to Swalwell and his campaign as part of what U.S. officials described as a Chinese counterintelligence effort.
Swalwell has claimed that he cut off contact after being warned by U.S. intelligence officials.
A subsequent congressional ethics investigation found no wrongdoing on his part.
However, House Republicans later removed him from the House Intelligence Committee, with then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) citing the prior incident.
Last month, a previously unreported 2013 Facebook post from China’s San Francisco consulate resurfaced, showing Swalwell speaking about the “great potential” for U.S.-China cooperation during a meeting with a senior CCP diplomat.
The post was reportedly “liked” by Fang.
Michael Lucci, founder and CEO of State Armor Action, criticized Swalwell’s continued acceptance of Zhu’s donations, telling Fox News:
“Once again, Congressman Swalwell got caught with his hand in the CCP cookie jar.
“It’s simply outrageous that Congressman Swallwell would take even more money from Keliang Zhu after Zhu’s connections to the CCP were made public.”
Lucci added:
“First, Swalwell had a fiery romance with Fang Fang, a CCP honeypot.
“Then he was caught taking campaign money from China’s favorite big law firm.
“Congressman Swalwell is either totally oblivious to the dangers of flirting with CCP operatives, or he doesn’t care and would take a check from Xi Jinping himself.
“Congress should pass a law to prohibit campaign cash from Communist China before Swalwell’s sweet tooth has him hunting for another CCP honey pot or cookie jar.”
Swalwell has not publicly commented on the most recent donation.
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