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Washington — House Democratic leadership on Friday called on Rep. Eric Swalwell to drop out of the race for California governor in the wake of allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer. Swalwell denied the allegations and called them “false.”
In a statement Friday night, House Democratic leaders called for a “swift investigation” into the allegations and for Swalwell to immediately end his campaign. They called for accountability, but stopped short of urging him to resign from Congress.
“This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said. “All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable.”
Swalwell threatened to take legal action against the woman, who detailed the alleged encounters to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published a story Friday.
The woman, who was not named, said Swalwell started pursuing her shortly after she was hired to work in his district office in Castro Valley in 2019. She alleged he sent her inappropriate photos of himself via Snapchat, requested nude photos of her and asked her to perform oral sex on him in a parking lot. She also alleged that after going out for drinks with Swalwell in September 2019, she woke up naked in his hotel bed with little recollection of the night.
Five years later, in 2024, when she no longer worked for Swalwell, she said she met him for drinks after a charity gala in New York. She said she became intoxicated and only remembers parts of the night, including allegedly pushing him away and telling him “no” while he forced himself on her. She said she woke up the next morning with vaginal bleeding and bruises.
“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,” Swalwell said.
The Chronicle said it reviewed texts the woman sent to a friend three days after the alleged incident, in which she wrote she was “sexually assaulted” by Swalwell.
“This happened one other time when I was working with him, but I convinced myself I was an equal party in it even though same pattern: I blacked out and he had sex with me,” she wrote, according to the Chronicle, referring to the alleged 2019 incident.
The Chronicle also spoke with the man who was the woman’s boyfriend at the time of the 2024 incident. The then-boyfriend said he encouraged the woman to report Swalwell to the police, but the woman said she did not do so because she was afraid they would not believe her because she had already showered and thought it would be unlikely that an examination would find evidence.
Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, a campaign chair for Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, also called on him to drop out of the race, calling the information “shocking” and said the story contains “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable.”
“The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay,” Gomez said, adding that he was cutting ties with Swalwell’s campaign “effective immediately.”
Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Adam Schiff of California, as well as Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California, also said they were withdrawing their endorsements.
“What is described is indefensible,” Gallego said. “Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed. I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”
Schiff said he was “deeply distressed” by the accusations and called on Swalwell to withdraw from the race.
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California said Swalwell “must leave the Governor’s race immediately.”
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said, “Given the gravity of these claims, Rep. Eric Swalwell should step aside to ensure a full, transparent investigation free from undue influence.”
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said the matter “must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
Swalwell also lost the support of the California Teachers Association, which called the allegations “incredibly disturbing and unacceptable.”
