A billionaire Democrat megadonor with close ties to disgraced former Congressman Eric Swalwell of California was reportedly arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on a felony charge of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness from testifying.
Businessman Stephen Cloobeck was taken into police custody by LA County Sheriff’s deputies and released several hours later after posting a $300,000 bond, TMZreported.
It remains unclear which witness Cloobeck allegedly contacted.
Cloobeck’s attorney, Elias Dabaie, told TMZ that the “charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.”
Cloobeck, former CEO of Diamond Resorts International, cut ties with Swalwell in April following allegations of sexual assault, drugging, and rape that resulted in his resignation from Congress and his withdrawal from the California governor’s race.
The billionaire also kicked Swalwell out of his mansion, where the former lawmaker was staying, only hours before he dropped out of the gubernatorial race,accordingto the New York Post.
“I am no longer supporting Eric,” Cloobeck told the outlet during an exclusive interview. “Tell everyone I’m a libertarian … I’m a libertarian now,” he said, while also hurling expletives at the Democratic Party.
Clookbeck, who also ran for governor of California before dropping out in November 2025, donated over $1 million to Swalwell’s campaign before the scandal broke. Now he said he wants that money back.
CBS Newsreportedon Cloobeck’s announcement that he was dropping out of the race last year, highlighting how he framed Swalwell as the paradigm of integrity due to his willingness to “fight the fight and protect people.”
“I only ran for Governor because I believe none of the other candidates are capable of doing the job,” he said. “So when Eric [Swalwell] decided to do this, I realized he is absolutely the right person for the job, and the best thing I could do would be to step aside and support him 100 percent.”
Source: VidNews » Feed
