Democratic House of Representatives Eric Swalwellwho is the leader california The gubernatorial candidate is accused of violating immigration and employment laws by keeping his Brazilian nanny in the country illegally, according to two recently filed complaints, the New York Post reports. The maid was identified as Amanda Barbosa, who worked for them.
A complaint filed with the Department of Labor on Tuesday alleges that Swalwell and his wife, Brittany, lied to the federal government to get Barbosa to work for them when their temporary work authorization as a nanny in South America was set to expire in 2022. A separate complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security in February alleges that Swalwell secretly paid Barbosa with campaign funds for two years without holding a valid work authorization.
“During 2023 and 2024, Barbosa appeared in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family, indicating that Barbosa maintained close ties and had ongoing childcare responsibilities despite no known legal work authorization,” Complain to the Department of Homeland Securitydated February 16, allegedly.
Who is Amanda Barbosa?
Swalwell first hired Barbosa, 33, in the fall of 2021. She was hired to care for the embattled California gubernatorial candidate’s three children.
In January 2021, Barbosa came to the United States from the United States rio de janeiro Hold an Au Pair visa. That same year, she received $3,914 in campaign funds,
That’s according to a New York Post analysis of Federal Election Commission data.
Barbosa continued working as a live-in nanny for Swalwell the next year and received $46,930 in campaign funds in 2022, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Swalwell began sponsoring Barbosa for a green card when her au pair visa was set to expire in December 2022, according to a permanent labor certification application reviewed by the outlet.
Barbosa’s LinkedIn shows that as the lengthy process concluded, she enrolled in community college. Under student visa regulations, she is not allowed to work off campus.
Over the next few years, Barbosa was seen caring for Swalwell’s children at various family events. Photos on social media even show her attending the annual White House picnic in 2023 and 2024. On Halloween 2024, she was also pictured trick-or-treating children while wearing a Brazilian soccer jersey.
After the allegations came to light, her LinkedIn page was deleted. The company said she has worked as a private child care provider from 2021 to the present, according to screenshots included in the complaint.
Direct campaign payments to Barbosa have stopped on paper. However, Swalwell himself wrote off $52,262 in “child care” campaign expenses, according to FEC records. According to the complaint, this was simply a fraudulent workaround to try to keep her from being listed even though she was not authorized to work in the United States.
“This is a blatant disregard for the law. He is harboring and employing illegal immigrants,” said Joel Gilbert, a California filmmaker and activist who filed the complaint.
The Labor Department confirmed to the New York Post that the Labor Department. Barbosa will receive another $38,905 in campaign funds from Swalwell next year, FEC data shows.
Swalwell is a defender of illegal immigrants. As part of his stance on immigration, he has advocated in the past for “reforms that would bring undocumented workers out of the shadows.”
Swalwell is under investigation by the FEC for spending more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal nannies. He has also been accused of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior by four women. Swalwell has denied the sexual assault allegations.
