Swalwell Faces Scrutiny Over $200K in Campaign Funds Spent on Childcare

Campaign finance expert calls use of campaign funds for personal childcare a 'slippery slope'

Feb. 3, 2026 at 9:15pm

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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing criticism for spending over $200,000 of his congressional campaign funds on childcare expenses, including over $22,000 in just the last three months of 2025. A campaign finance expert argues this sets a problematic precedent of politicians using donor money to subsidize their personal lives.

Why it matters

The use of campaign funds for personal childcare expenses raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral system, as campaign finance laws are meant to ensure political speech is protected and electoral competition is maintained, not to underwrite the private lives of politicians.

The details

Swalwell's congressional campaign has reimbursed him over $200,000 for childcare-related costs since 2019, including over $22,000 in the last three months of 2025. Significant payments were made to an individual named Amanda Barbosa and to a Washington, D.C. daycare center. While the FEC has ruled that childcare expenses caused by campaign activity are not considered personal use, a campaign finance expert argues this decision risks creating a 'special class of politicians' who can pass off their normal childcare costs to donors.

  • Between 2021 and 2025, Swalwell's campaign paid over $102,000 to Amanda Barbosa, a childcare provider.
  • From 2023 to 2025, Swalwell's campaign paid $57,324.40 to Bambini Play & Learn Child Development Center, a Washington, D.C. daycare.
  • In the last three months of 2025, Swalwell's campaign spent over $22,000 on childcare expenses.

The players

Eric Swalwell

A Democratic U.S. Representative from California who is currently running for governor of California.

Brittany Swalwell

Eric Swalwell's wife, to whom some of the childcare payments were made.

Amanda Barbosa

An individual who received over $102,000 from Swalwell's campaign for childcare services between 2021 and 2025.

Bambini Play & Learn Child Development Center

A Washington, D.C. daycare center that received $57,324.40 from Swalwell's campaign between 2023 and 2025.

Allen Mendenhall

A research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies and a senior advisor at Capital Markets Initiative, who criticized Swalwell's use of campaign funds for childcare.

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What they’re saying

“It's an expense that candidates with young children will incur regardless of whether they're in a campaign. I have childcare costs. Many people have childcare costs, and we can't just use this other money to subsidize our things.”

— Allen Mendenhall, Research fellow, Heritage Foundation

“The danger here is creating a special class of politicians who are insulated from normal constraints, ordinary constraints that everybody else has to deal with.”

— Allen Mendenhall, Research fellow, Heritage Foundation

“Campaign law exists not to underwrite the private lives of politicians, but to ensure that political speech is protected and that public advocacy occurs, that we have electoral competition. Election laws are in place to try to maintain the integrity of our electoral system, and that decision, I think, undermines the integrity of the system.”

— Allen Mendenhall, Research fellow, Heritage Foundation

What’s next

The FEC will likely face continued scrutiny over its decision to allow candidates to use campaign funds for childcare expenses, as critics argue this sets a dangerous precedent.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing debate over the appropriate use of campaign funds, as critics argue that allowing candidates to use donor money for personal expenses like childcare undermines the integrity of the electoral system and creates an unfair advantage for politicians with young families.