Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for governor, has been publicly accused of sexual assault, following weeks of rumors about alleged misconduct that have swirled on social media.

The allegations have the potential to sink the East Bay congressman’s gubernatorial campaign, where he’s been among the front-runners in a tight primary race with former Rep. Katie Porter, billionaire investor Tom Steyer, and others.

In a bombshell piece from The San Francisco Chronicle (opens in new tab), a former Swalwell staffer alleges that he pressed himself on her sexually while she worked for him and had sex with her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent.

The woman told the paper that Swalwell began pursuing her soon after she was hired at 21 to work in his district office in the East Bay. Swalwell, who is married and has three children, sent photos of his genitals to the younger staffer on Snapchat and pursued her sexually, the report says.

In September 2019, the woman said she woke up naked in Swalwell’s hotel room after a dinner out with friends and felt the physical effects of intercourse. She later left his office but continued to work in politics.

In April 2024, the accuser attended an awards ceremony in New York where Swalwell was being honored. After meeting up with him, she got drinks with him and ended up intoxicated in his hotel room, where he forcibly had sex with her, she claims.

The Chronicle corroborated her claims with medical records and by speaking with friends she had confided in and a former boyfriend.

In response to the claims, Swalwell’s attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to the counsel for the accuser and raised the possibility of a defamation suit.

“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement. “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.”

The Chronicle story was followed by a report from CNN (opens in new tab) where four women described sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including multiple cases where he unsolicited nude photos and had sex with women who were heavily intoxicated. Swalwell denied the accusations.

The allegations follow weeks of rumors on social media about alleged sexual harassment and abuse by Swalwell.

In the wake of the allegations, Politico reported that several top campaign staffers (opens in new tab) have resigned, including senior adviser Courtni Pugh, who served as a top liaison to organized labor groups that have been major backers of Swalwell. Rep. Jimmy Gomez has resigned (opens in new tab) as cochair of Swalwell’s campaign and called on him to leave the race.

“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust,” Gomez said in a statement. “I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately.”

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has called for Swalwell to withdraw from the race, joining a growing chorus of major politicians asking for him to drop out.

“As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

The California Teachers’ Association, which counts more than 300,000 members, said they are suspending their previous endorsement of Swalwell.

“The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell. We are immediately suspending our support,” the union said in a statement. “Our elected board will be meeting as soon as possible to follow our union’s democratic process to determine next steps.”

Anti-Trump Republican strategist Mike Madrid said Swalwell was in the midst of consolidating the field before the allegations dropped. Now, as he loses top endorsements and campaign staffers, it appears that his run will soon sputter out. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the top-tier candidates are no longer the top-tier candidates in 30 days,” Madrid said. “It’s still early, but the real irony is that this could be enough to put the Republican versus Republican scenario back in play.”

Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, called for Swalwell to be held accountable for any misconduct but fell short of calling for him to drop out.

“The allegations against Congressmember Swalwell are deeply disturbing.
First, the stories of victims and survivors should be heard and believed. Period,” Hicks said in a statement. “Second, any person engaged in misconduct must take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions — including a member of Congress and candidate for governor.”

Dan Schnur, a professor at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Government Studies, said that compared to other major politicians with prior sex scandals like Bill Clinton or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Swalwell is ill-defined as a candidate in the eyes of many voters.

“With those individuals, that was one small part of what they knew about them,” Schnur said. “For most California voters, this is all they know about Swalwell.”

Schnur said as a major political power player, the California Teachers Association endorsement was a huge coup for Swalwell. The collapse in their support is not only incredibly damaging in its own right but also because of the signal it sends to other observers.

“There’s an old saying in politics, good always gets better, and bad always gets worse,” Schnur said.