The Department of Homeland Security is investigating allegations that embattled lefty California Rep. Eric Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny years ago, officials said.
Swalwell allegedly hired the nanny for his children and she continued to work for the family after her work authorization permit expired in 2022, the New York Post exclusively revealed.
DHS is now investigating after the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) referred the case to the department, Politico reported.
“USCIS has been collecting information on the allegations involving Congressman Eric Swalwell hiring of a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization,” DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis confirmed in a statement to the outlet. “These allegations are serious. USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation.
“Federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States,” Bis continued. “No employer, including a member of Congress, is above the law.”
The DHS received a complaint in February alleging the nanny, Amanda Barbosa, “appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization.”
The congressman hired Barbosa, 33, to look after his three children in 2021.
The Rio de Janeiro native arrived on an au pair visa and was paid $3,914 in campaign funds that year, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by The Post.
The next year, Barbosa was paid $46,930 in campaign funds, FEC records show.
Her au pair visa ended in 2022 and Swalwell began the process of sponsoring her for a green card, according to a permanent labor certification application reviewed by The Post.
As her application was under review, she enrolled at community college, according to her LinkedIn, and under student visa rules, was barred from working off campus.
But social media posts from her now-deleted Facebook account show Barbosa caring for the kids at a variety of family events over the next two years, even boldly posting photos with the children at the annual White House picnic in 2023 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Swalwell announced Sunday he was suspending his California gubernatorial campaign after four women accused him of sexual misconduct — including alleged rape.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has opened a probe into allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer in a New York City hotel room in April 2024.
“We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division,” a district attorney’s office spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.
“Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
