Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) is facing growing pressure to drop out of the California gubernatorial race, including from the two congressmen who chaired his campaign, over reports that a former staffer accused him of sexual assault and multiple others alleged sexual misconduct.
In an article published Friday afternoon, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a former employee in Swalwell’s congressional office accused him of sexual assault. Hours later, CNN reported that three other women alleged other types of sexual misconduct by him.
The Washington Post has not been able to independently confirm the allegations against Swalwell, who was among the candidates leading in some polls of the crowded gubernatorial race.
Elias Dabaie, an attorney for Swalwell, denied allegations Friday and suggested they were politically motivated.
“We learned from press outlets that there are multiple allegations made against the Congressman. We believe those allegations are baseless and continue to seek the truth,” Dabaie told The Post in an email after the Chronicle story published. “We also want to understand why these allegations would suddenly arise on the eve of on an election against the front-runner in what appears to be a coordinated effort to undermine his candidacy.”
He did not respond to another request for comment after the CNN story published.
Gerald Singleton, a lawyer for the unnamed accuser in the Chronicle report, declined to comment Friday.
The Chronicle report triggered immediate fallout for Swalwell’s campaign, with several Democratic officials calling on him to leave the race and other allies withdrawing their support. Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-California) and Adam Gray (D-California), the chair and co-chair of Swalwell’s campaign, respectively, said they were stepping down from their roles Friday.
“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign. … The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay,” Gomez said in a statement.
Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), among Swalwell’s highest-profile supporters, withdrew their endorsements Friday. Gallego earlier this week had defended Swalwell in response to social media posts suggesting that misconduct allegations would soon be made public.
“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,” Gallego wrote on X.
House Democratic leaders called for a “swift investigation” into assault allegations against Swalwell and urged him to end his gubernatorial campaign.
“All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (Massachusetts) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (California) said in a joint statement.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California), a former House speaker who had not endorsed Swalwell, said Friday that the woman in the Chronicle report “must be respected and heard.”
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
Californians for a Fighter, the outside group supporting Swalwell’s campaign with millions of dollars in large donations, is immediately suspending operations “in light of serious allegations,” according to a spokesperson.
Courtni Pugh, a top adviser to Swalwell’s campaign, confirmed Friday that she and other staff had left the operation in response to the allegations. The departures were first reported by Politico. Multiple powerful California labor unions announced that they were either suspending or reviewing their endorsements of Swalwell.
Swalwell has been considered a leading candidate in the California governor’s race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Dozens of candidates appear on the June 2 primary ballot, and the top two finishers will advance to the general election regardless of party.
A slew of rival Democratic candidates called on Swalwell, who was first elected to Congress in 2012 and briefly ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary, to drop out of the race in light of the reports. Those include former congresswoman Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, former health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra, former state controller Betty Yee, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and California Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, said in a statement that the allegations against Swalwell are “deeply disturbing” but did not call for Swalwell to end his campaign.
In response to a request for comment from The Post, Newsom said in a statement, “As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.”
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