US Congressman Eric Swalwell, who was originally making headlines for his California governor bid, was hit with explosive sexual assault and misconduct allegations on Friday (US time). In the wake of the controversial development, not only has his campaign suffered a major blow, he’s now also facing resignation calls given the nature of the accusations raised against him.
Bombshell reports tied to the Democratic lawmaker’s alleged misconduct instantly triggered a massive exodus, with multiple campaign staffers resigning. But that’s not all. Even his fellow Democratic allies yanked support for the congressman’s governor run after the allegations surfaced.
California Senator Adam Schiff and Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego were among some of the top Democrats who withdrew their support for Swalwell on Friday. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the expanding list of lawmakers calling on him to end the governor campaign.
Eric Swalwell hit with sexual assault allegations
According to a CNN report, one of Swalwell’s former staffers alleged that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated. She also claimed that the US representative left her bruised and bleeding. The lead Democratic candidate for California governor has firmly rejected the allegation. The woman told CNN that the incident happened in 2024 after she stopped working in the lawmaker’s office.
Additionally, she alleged Swalwell first had nonconsensual sexual contact with her while she was drunk in 2019. At the time, she claims to have been still working for him.
Three other woman also raised similar allegations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell in their comments to CNN. They also accused him of sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
Rep Eric Swalwell dismisses sexual assault allegations
On his part, Swalwell has strongly denied the claims. In a statement to CNN, he said, “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor.”
He added, “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
An attorney for the Democratic candidate also sent two of the women, who spoke to CNN, with cease-and-desist letters on Thursday, a day after the news outlet first reached out to his campaign for comment, according to letter viewed by CNN. Therein, the women’s accounts were labelled as “false,” while they were ordered to retract their statements and warned of legal action.