Eric Swalwell Staffers Call for Support of Sexual Misconduct Accusers as Scandal Widens: ‘We’re Horrified’
Staff members from the congressional office and gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Eric Swalwell called for support of women who have accused the California Democrat of sexual misconduct, including a former aide who alleges he raped her, according to an unsigned statement shared Saturday with multiple media outlets.
The statement followed reporting Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN detailing allegations by several women. One former staffer told the Chronicle that Swalwell raped her twice.
CNN later reported that four women had accused the congressman of sexual misconduct, including the same woman, who alleged he raped her in 2019 and again in 2024 during a trip to New York City.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it had opened an investigation into the 2024 allegation.
“As leaders of teams working for Eric Swalwell, we’re horrified by the recent reporting,” the statement said. “We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward.”
The statement described the alleged conduct as “abhorrent” and said it betrays the trust of Californians. It also sought to distance current staff from the lawmaker, saying their continued employment “should not be viewed as support” for Swalwell.
“We recognize that not everyone — in particular our junior staff — can immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk,” the statement said, adding that staff leaders have obligations to their teams and to constituents in California’s 14th Congressional District.
The statement was distributed to Politico and other outlets.
In interviews cited by the Chronicle and CNN, the former staffer alleged that Swalwell forced her to perform oral sex in a parking lot in 2019. She also told CNN she awoke to him having sex with her in a New York hotel room in 2024 after a night of heavy drinking.
The accuser said she told him to stop during the earlier encounter. “I was pushing him off of me saying ‘no,’” she told CNN.
Swalwell denied the allegations in a statement to the Chronicle, calling them false and politically motivated. “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election,” he said.
The congressman, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, faced a wave of staff departures following the reports. On Friday, Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders called on Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign in California after Friday’s bombshell report.
In a joint statement released Friday evening, the House Minority Leader, along with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, demanded “a swift investigation” into the allegations and demanded that Swalwell exit California’s race for governor.
“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor,” the statement noted. “This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously.”
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