Represent. Eric Swalwell, running as a top Democrat for governor, is now accused publicly of sexual assault. A political shock hit California’s governor race Friday. The allegations might wipe out his campaign completely.
Friday afternoon, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the news. An unnamed former staffer told the paper that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice in 2019 and again in 2024, each time when she was too drunk to consent. The Chronicle said she started working as an intern in Swalwell’s district office at age 21.
In 2019, the first incident happened. She spent the evening out drinking with Swalwell and some friends downtown in Pleasanton. She was so drunk she barely remembered the night, yet she told the Chronicle that the next morning she could still feel the physical effects of sex.
Five years after that, she met Swalwell in New York to talk about her career. They grabbed drinks together. She only clearly remembers going to the bathroom at the bar, then suddenly she recalls herself in Swalwell’s hotel room, shoving him away and saying, “No.”
Later, CNN picked up the story. CNN said four women accused it of sexual misconduct. A woman claimed Swalwell kissed her in public without permission. Another Democratic influencer, Ally Sammarco, claimed Swalwell sent her unwanted videos showing his genitals.
However, Swalwell pushed back hard. He said the claims were untrue and driven by politics, noting they surfaced just before an election where the frontrunner for governor is running. He also added that over his nearly 20 years in public service, he has always stood up for women. In addition, his lawyer wrote a cease-and-desist letter to the accuser’s attorney, hinting that he might sue for defamation.
Still, the political backlash hit fast and hard. Represent. Jimmy Gomez, who led Swalwell’s campaign, stepped down right away and called the claims “the worst and most serious accusations anyone could imagine,” urging Swalwell to quit the race immediately.
Also, Sen. Adam Schiff quickly pulled back his support and urged Swalwell to do the same. Sen. Ruben Gallego later pulled his backing too, admitting he regretted defending Swalwell only days before.
Top Democratic House leaders soon added their voices. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released a joint statement urging Swalwell to “immediately end his campaign.” At the same time, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the situation calls for “full transparency and accountability” and insisted Swalwell should drop out of the race.
Money support started to fall apart too. The PAC supporting Swalwell and Californians for a Fighter shut down all its operations. Key supporters are Uber Technologies and businessman Stephen Cloobeck. The California Teachers Association pulled back its support, and the California Federation of Labor Unions said it was moving fast to figure out what comes next.
Other candidates also answered with strong support. Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, and Matt Mahan all said they supported the accuser. Thurmond pressed Swalwell to step down from Congress completely.
California votes for governor on June 2, and early voting starts May 4. Pressure on Swalwell to act keeps building, hour by hour. Right now, he’s still in the race, but every hour that goes by leaves him with fewer options ahead.
“Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, NBC News, ABC News, CalMatters, Spectrum News, Bloomberg”
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