California Representative Eric Swalwell, currently a leading candidate for governor, has issued a forceful denial following allegations of sexual assault made by a former staffer.
The claims, published Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle, have triggered a swift collapse of his campaign’s high-profile endorsements and calls for his immediate withdrawal from the race.
The unnamed woman told the Chronicle that the misconduct began shortly after she was hired at Swalwell’s Castro Valley district office in 2019. She alleged that the congressman sent her inappropriate Snapchat photos, requested nudes, and asked for sexual favors in a parking lot.
Most notably, she described an incident in September 2019 where, after drinks, she woke up naked in his hotel bed with almost no memory of the night.
A second alleged incident occurred in 2024 at a New York charity gala. Though no longer working for him at the time, the woman claimed she became intoxicated and remembers telling him “no” while he forced himself on her.
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She told the Chronicle she woke up the next morning with bruises and vaginal bleeding. While she did not go to the police—fearing a lack of evidence after showering—the Chronicle reviewed texts she sent to a friend three days later stating she had been “sexually assaulted.”
Swalwell has rejected every aspect of the report, framing it as a political hit job. “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner 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. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
He has also threatened legal action against his accuser.
Despite his denial, the political fallout was immediate. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who served as a campaign chair for Swalwell’s gubernatorial run, called the accusations “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable” and demanded Swalwell exit the race to allow for “full accountability.”
U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego also rescinded their endorsements Friday. Schiff described himself as “deeply distressed” and joined the calls for Swalwell to drop out.
The California Teachers Association further isolated the candidate, withdrawing its support and calling the details of the report “incredibly disturbing and unacceptable.”
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