Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
Yuri Gripusreuter
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who is running for California governor, has denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman on two separate occasions, including when she worked for him.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024. The newspaper investigated text messages related to the 2024 alleged assault and spoke to people the woman told about it. She told the newspaper that she did not go to the police because she was afraid that she would not be believed.
The newspaper did not name the woman, and The Associated Press was unable to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined comment.
The newspaper said the woman worked for Swalwell in 2019 when the first alleged assault occurred, and the 2024 assault allegedly occurred after a charity event. She said in both cases she was unable to consent to sex.
Mr. Swalwell denied the woman’s testimony and suggested that she may have taken part in the attack as a result of his own campaign’s momentum.
“These claims are false and were made on the eve of an election against the leading candidate for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement. “I have served the public for nearly 20 years as a prosecutor and lawmaker and have always protected women. I will protect myself with the facts and take legal action if necessary. My focus in the coming days, along with my wife and children, is to protect our decades of service from these lies.”
According to the Chronicle, the woman received a cease-and-desist letter from Swalwell’s attorney. His lawyer, Elias Debye, confirmed that he had sent at least one letter and called the allegations “unfounded.”
The allegations surfaced at a key stage in a wide-ranging campaign to lead the country’s most populous state. Mail-in ballots will be sent to voters within a month of the June 2 primary election.
On Friday afternoon, the California Teachers Association announced it was suspending assistance. Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff withdrew his support, and Swalwell’s fellow senators urged him to withdraw from the race. Some of Swalwell’s competitors also encouraged him to withdraw from the race.
Unconfirmed and unspecified rumors that Mr. Swalwell behaved inappropriately toward female staffers have been circulating on social media for weeks, but the Chronicle article is the first time someone has reportedly made a direct accusation. At a campaign event Tuesday in Sacramento, he told reporters he had never had a sexual relationship with a staffer or intern.
Swalwell announced a series of campaign events planned around the state earlier this week, but canceled an event scheduled for Thursday in Palm Springs.
Swalwell is one of several prominent Democrats vying to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, but he soon came under pressure from several Democratic rivals, including former Gov. Betty Yee, State Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, to drop out of the race. Two of Mr. Swalwell’s biggest rivals, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, expressed support for the woman who shared the account, but stopped short of calling on Mr. Swalwell to cancel his campaign.
The new uproar could prove costly for Mr. Swalwell if his fundraising dries up and his ability to run campaign ads is curtailed, or if unions and other groups that supported his campaign begin to reverse their decisions.
Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who supported and helped run Mr. Swalwell’s campaign, said in a social media post that Mr. Swalwell was ending his role in the campaign effective immediately.
“Congressmen should withdraw from the race now so that full accountability can be achieved without any doubt, distraction or delay,” Gomez said.
Mr. Swalwell, an Iowa native, was elected in 2012 and represents a congressional district east of San Francisco. He began running for president in April 2019, but withdrew a few months later after failing to gain support from voters. He is perhaps best known nationally for serving as House chief justice during President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial of his first term in early 2021.
