Rep. Swalwell, candidate for California governor, has an AI side gig

"During the Los Angeles writers' strike in 2023, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell wanted to reach out to his donors in Hollywood and ask what he could do to help them. But he didn't have an easy way to find the screenwriters who backed his many campaigns. So Swalwell and his congressional chief of staff launched an AI technology company that sifts and analyzes campaign fundraising data."

"Craig Holman, a governmental ethics expert with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, said it's common and legal for candidates to use their own businesses to promote their campaigns or the campaigns of others, as long as all business interactions are charged at market value. He said Swalwell can talk about his business privately but cannot do so in relation to his role in Congress, to avoid running afoul of ethics rules barring using one's position for personal monetary gain."

"Holman called it 'odd and politically unwise' that Swalwell's business will not publicly disclose all of its investors. The company received more than $67,400 from congressional campaigns in the 2025-26 cycle, according to filings with the federal government."

Rep. Eric Swalwell and his congressional chief of staff created Findraiser, an AI technology company that analyzes campaign fundraising data. The company emerged from Swalwell's need to identify Hollywood screenwriter donors during the 2023 writers' strike. Findraiser has been adopted by dozens of political campaigns, including those of Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, as well as Swalwell's own gubernatorial campaign. Ethics experts note that while candidates can legally use their own businesses for campaigns at market rates, Findraiser's lack of public investor disclosure is considered unusual. The company received over $67,400 from congressional campaigns in the 2025-26 cycle and is approaching profitability.

Read at Los Angeles Times