Pressure Grows For Swalwell To Exit Governor’s Race, Criminal Inquiry Launched

SACRAMENTO — The fallout complete intersexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell grew Saturday arsenic his chap gubernatorial candidates faced a caller title and Democrats were forced into a accelerated trial of really they respond to accusations of intersexual misconduct.

Within hours of nan accusations against Swalwell being made public, nan Northern California congressman’s run began to unravel and a chorus of apical Democrats urged him to driblet out. Staff members resigned, his fundraising website went offline and friends moved quickly to region themselves from a campaigner who had been gaining momentum arsenic a front-runner successful nan title to lead nan Golden State.

The repercussions extended beyond Swalwell’s run for governor. The Manhattan territory attorney’s agency opened an investigation into intersexual battle allegations against Swalwell by a erstwhile staffer and issued a connection Saturday that urged “survivors and anyone pinch knowledge of these allegations to interaction our Special Victims Division.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) posted a video connected X saying that she plans to unit a House ballot adjacent week to expel Swalwell.

Swalwell has denied nan allegations, calling them “flat [out] false.”

The upheaval has created an opening for lesser-known contenders to summation traction conscionable arsenic voters are opening to move their attraction to nan title — a spotlight now intensified by nan controversy.

The velocity and severity of nan consequence underscores really quickly governmental support tin erode — and reflects a broader displacement successful really specified allegations are handled successful nan post-#MeToo era, which has been intensified by nan scrutiny surrounding nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Ask immoderate female staffer complete nan property of 45 what her acquisition was like, and this was a reasonably prevalent benignant of situation,” said Elizabeth Ashford, a seasoned Democratic strategist. “It was allowed. I really deliberation it shows a batch of maturation connected nan portion of governmental professionalism, that these things are taken seriously.”

As of Saturday afternoon, Swalwell ignored calls to driblet retired of nan title and resign from Congress, moreover arsenic outrage and disapproval swelled. A Bay Area fundraiser was canceled and awesome organization backers abandoned nan campaign. The California Labor Federation withdrew its endorsement, SEIU California rescinded its backing and urged Swalwell to exit nan race, and nan California Police Chiefs Assn. suspended its support.

Speculation swirled Saturday astir Swalwell’s whereabouts aft nan congressman announced that he intended to walk clip pinch his wife.

A man who opened nan doorway of Swalwell’s rental location successful Livermore early Saturday refused to talk to a Times reporter. Swalwell has claimed that he rents abstraction successful nan one-story house, located connected a quiet cul-de-sac. He besides owns a location successful Washington, D.C., but nary 1 wrong responded erstwhile a newsman rang Saturday.

Livermore residents couldn’t flight news of nan scandal. “Swalwell faces battle claims,” publication nan beforehand page of nan East Bay Times, stacked up astatine nan Lucky market communicative astir nan area from Swalwell’s rental home.

The astir superior allegation against Swalwell is from a female who worked for nan congressman who said their narration was astatine times consensual, but that he sexually assaulted her doubly erstwhile she was excessively intoxicated to consent, according to nan San Francisco Chronicle. Three different women person besides accused Swalwell of intersexual misconduct, including sending unsolicited nude photos, according to CNN.

The allegations prompted respective members of his run to abruptly locomotion distant from their jobs. One elder run staffer said they resigned aft proceeding nan seriousness of nan allegations, adding that they didn’t want to beryllium put successful a position wherever they were utilizing their ain credibility to take sides Swalwell.

Former staffers successful Swalwell’s legislature agency traded messages successful group texts aft nan news reports, pinch galore expressing daze and scary astatine nan allegations, according to 2 erstwhile employees.

A group of elder unit successful Swalwell’s legislature agency and run said successful a connection Saturday that they “stand pinch our erstwhile workfellow and nan different women who person travel forward” and that others “should guidelines pinch them, too.”

Kyle Alagood, an lawyer who worked for Swalwell’s legislature agency and his short-lived statesmanlike campaign, told The Times he was “disgusted and pissed off.”

“I believe he has nan decency to resign for nan liking of his woman and kids,” said Alagood, adding that Swalwell must besides “face nan afloat ineligible consequences of his actions.”

Rob Stutzman, a longtime GOP strategist, said nan effect of Swalwell’s governmental advisers quitting and his endorsements being yanked has sunk his chances successful nan governor’s title whether he stays successful aliases not.

Stutzman advised erstwhile Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during nan 2003 callback erstwhile The Times reported allegations of inappropriate behaviour pinch women during his bodybuilding and movie career. Stutzman said nan severity of nan allegations against Swalwell makes nan business very different from that involving Schwarzenegger, who didn’t suffer endorsements.

“If this had been nan circumstances … I would person quit,” Stutzman said. “They’re conscionable not nan same.”

While Swalwell’s governmental early hangs successful nan balance, governmental insiders are intimately watching who will beryllium nan beneficiary of nan chaos. There are 8 Democrats running: billionaire Tom Steyer, erstwhile Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, authorities schools Supt. Tony Thurmond, erstwhile U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San José Mayor Matt Mahan, erstwhile Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, erstwhile authorities Controller Betty Yee and Swalwell. There are 2 GOP candidates: Steve Hilton, a erstwhile Fox News commentator, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Loyola Marymount University rule professor Jessica Levinson said that pinch cardinal endorsements, specified arsenic labor, now backmost up for grabs, anyone tin jump to nan beforehand of nan pack. She said nan safest stake connected who will summation an advantage is Porter and Steyer, who pinch Swalwell person been nan apical candidates successful caller sentiment polls.

“But, I deliberation this is simply a title wherever location is nary heir apparent,” Levinson said. “You can’t norm retired surprises anymore successful this race.”

Paul Mitchell, a seasoned Democratic strategist, agreed that nan upheaval benefits Porter and Steyer, adding that Swalwell’s chances person been reduced to zero.

“First off, I deliberation that staying successful nan title is not tenable,” Mitchell said. “And truthful if he does driblet retired of nan race, what it intends is that you’re going to person a batch of progressive voters looking for personification other to spell to and nan superior beneficiaries should beryllium Porter and Steyer correct now, because they’re nan different 2 that are successful that benignant of first tier of Democratic candidates that person been splitting up that progressive base.”

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Swalwell had circulated for weeks connected societal media and successful governmental circles. Once nan San Francisco Chronicle and CNN posted stories pinch specifications from women accusing Swalwell of intersexual misconduct, including rape, nan swift rebuke was likened by 1 governmental strategist to a explosive detonating.

Those media outlets reported that nan unit personnel accusing Swalwell of rape was 21 erstwhile she began moving for him successful 2019 successful his Castro Valley territory office. She said Swalwell, who is astir 2 decades older, quickly began sending her messages and past nude pictures connected Snapchat, a level successful which messages and images vanish aft being viewed.

She said that successful September 2019 she had drinks pinch nan congressman, blacked retired and could show she had had intercourse erstwhile she woke up naked successful Swalwell’s edifice bed, according to nan report. In a abstracted brushwood years later, she said he forced himself connected her while she was excessively intoxicated to consent and contempt her protests.

She said she did not study nan incidents to police, citing fears she would not beryllium believed and concerns astir master repercussions.

Another female who began messaging pinch Swalwell astir her liking successful Democratic authorities past twelvemonth said she met him for drinks and that she was attempting to fend disconnected his advances without hurting imaginable occupation opportunities erstwhile she began emotion “really fuzzy” and intoxicated, according to CNN. She told nan outlet that she ended up successful Swalwell’s edifice room without a representation of really she sewage there.

Social media creator Ally Sammarco said Swalwell sent her unsolicited nude pictures successful 2021, erstwhile she was 24 years old. Another female successful her 20s, who useful successful marketing, said nan congressman sent her unsolicited videos of his penis.

Swalwell, who is joined pinch 3 young children, posted a video connected Instagram connected Friday successful which he called nan accusations of inappropriate behaviour “flat [out] false,” while besides acknowledging unspecified mediocre behavior.

“I don’t propose to you successful immoderate measurement that I americium cleanable aliases that I americium a saint,” he said successful nan video. “I’ve surely made mistakes successful judgement successful my past. But those mistakes are betwixt maine and my wife. And to her I apologize profoundly for putting her successful this position.”

Elias Dabaie, an lawyer representing Swalwell, sent cease-and-desist letters to astatine slightest 2 group demanding that they extremity accusing nan congressman of intersexual assault, according to CNN. Dabaie was asked by CNN whether nan congressman’s comments tin beryllium construed arsenic acknowledging that he cheated connected his wife, while denying doing thing illegal.

“I’m not going to get into nan specifications of that,” Dabaie said.

Times unit writers Melody Peterson and Gavin Quinton contributed to this report.