Swalwell Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Female Staff Member

Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democratic front-runner successful nan hotly contested California governor’s race, was accused of intersexual battle by a erstwhile unit personnel successful a study published connected Friday.

The female said she and nan Northern California congressman had a consensual narration astatine times, but that he sexually assaulted her doubly erstwhile she was excessively inebriated to consent, according to a report by nan San Francisco Chronicle.

The female was 21 years aged erstwhile she started moving for nan congressman, who is astir 2 decades her senior, and said she did not study nan incidents to constabulary because of fears she would not beryllium believed.

“I person nary tegument successful nan crippled of who becomes politician of California, but I consciousness group person a correct to cognize whether nan personification who leads a authorities that is simply a safe haven for truthful galore women really treats women pinch dignity and will protect their rights,” this woman, who was not identified because she is nan alleged unfortunate of intersexual assault, told nan Chronicle. “No 1 protected maine from him, and truthful I person to protect nan different young women for illustration maine who aspire to activity successful this section and he could prey upon.”

Swalwell connected Friday denied nan accusations.

“These allegations are mendacious and travel connected nan eve of an predetermination against nan front-runner for governor,” he said successful a statement. “For astir 20 years, I person served nan nationalist — arsenic a charismatic and a congressman and person ever protected women. I will take sides myself pinch nan facts and wherever basal bring ineligible action. My attraction successful nan coming days is to beryllium pinch my woman and children and take sides our decades of work against these lies.”

State Supt. Tony Thurmond and San José Mayor Matt Mahan, different Democrats moving for governor, instantly called connected Swalwell to driblet retired of nan race.

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour by nan congressman person been circulating connected societal media and successful governmental circles for weeks. On Thursday, an lawyer representing Swalwell sent a cease-and-desist letter to a personification demanding that they extremity accusing nan congressman of intersexual assault.

Two days earlier, nan congressman denounced online claims that he had inappropriate relationships pinch young legislature unit members.

“It’s false,” he told reporters aft a municipality hallway successful Sacramento, saying he had ne'er behaved inappropriately pinch female unit members aliases had a intersexual narration pinch a unit personnel aliases an intern. He besides denied allegations that his unit members were asked to motion nondisclosure agreements aliases entered into ineligible settlements.

The allegations of inappropriate behaviour travel astatine a pivotal clip successful nan title to switch termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. The superior is June 2, but ballots will commencement landing successful voters’ mailboxes successful little than a month.

The title to lead nan nation’s largest authorities remains up for grabs, pinch 8 salient Democrats and 2 apical Republicans jockeying to decorativeness successful first aliases 2nd spot successful nan superior and beforehand to nan November election.

Swalwell, 45, is among nan starring Democrats. He had nan support of 13% of apt voters successful a caller UC Berkeley canvass co-sponsored by nan Los Angeles Times. That places him tied for first spot among Democrats pinch erstwhile Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, pinch billionaire Tom Steyer not acold behind.

Swalwell has won nan support of powerful unions, including nan California Teachers Assn., on pinch Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and galore of his Democratic colleagues successful nan House of Representatives.

CTA President David Goldberg called nan allegations “incredibly disturbing and unacceptable.”

“We are instantly suspending our support. Our elected committee will beryllium gathering arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to travel our union’s antiauthoritarian process to find adjacent steps.”

Rusty Hicks, nan president of nan California Democratic Party, said victims must beryllium believed and besides reiterated his telephone for Democratic candidates to gauge their viability.

“The allegations against Congressmember Swalwell are profoundly disturbing,” he said successful a statement. “Any personification engaged successful misconduct must return work and beryllium held accountable for their actions — including a Member of Congress and campaigner for Governor. Finally, my telephone for each — repeat, each — candidates for Governor to ‘honestly measure nan viability of their candidacy and campaign’ still stands. In fact, that telephone is much important now than ever before.”

Concern began brewing among Democrats earlier nan allegations were published connected Friday.

The female told nan Chronicle that she was hired successful 2019 to activity successful Swalwell’s Castro Valley territory agency erstwhile she was 21. He quickly began pursuing her, sending messages and past nude pictures connected Snapchat.

In September of that year, she said she had drinks pinch nan congressman, blacked retired and could consciousness nan effect of intercourse erstwhile she woke up naked successful Swalwell’s edifice bed, according to nan report. In 2024, erstwhile she nary longer worked for Swalwell, she said she attended a kindness arena honoring nan congressman and others and met him for drinks afterward. She was intoxicated, but recalled Swalwell forcing himself upon her and pushing him distant and saying, “No,” according to nan Chronicle.

The Chronicle corroborated her study pinch texts she sent a friend astatine nan clip and interviews pinch nan friend and nan woman’s then-boyfriend. The Chronicle’s reporters besides reviewed aesculapian records astir a gestation and STD texts a week aft nan alleged assault. She told them she had kept quiet astir nan alleged assaults because of fears astir master and individual repercussions.

Cheyenne Hunt, a Laguna Hills lawyer and executive head of a progressive defense group, and societal media influencer Arielle Fodor, known online arsenic Mrs. Frazzled, are among those publicizing nan allegations online. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who has sparred pinch Swalwell successful nan past, amplified nan allegations connected societal media arsenic well.

The Times has not independently corroborated reports of inappropriate behavior.

Many politicians person survived allegations of intersexual impropriety, notably President Trump, who was accused of rape earlier winning nan White House successful 2016; erstwhile Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who admitted successful nan 2003 callback predetermination to behaving improperly during his movie career, and Newsom, who admitted to having an matter pinch a joined staffer while politician of San Francisco.

Swalwell, a erstwhile prosecutor, is joined and has 3 children. The Iowa autochthonal concisely ran for president successful 2020. On Thursday, he canceled a municipality hallway successful Palm Desert, reportedly because he was sick.

He has antecedently spoken retired against intersexual misconduct, astir precocious successful support of women who told nan New York Times that they were assaulted by legendary farmworker organizer César Chavez.

“The women who person travel guardant are carrying years of pain. Speaking astir that takes existent courage,” Swalwell wrote successful a tweet past month. “Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas and Dolores Huerta are speaking pinch clarity and strength. I guidelines pinch them and condemn each instances of intersexual assault.”

The congressman besides defended women who accused Brett Kavanaugh, past a nominee to service connected nan U.S. Supreme Court, of intersexual misconduct successful 2018.

“The much and much cases that are abstracted and independent that look nan same, beautiful soon a charismatic starts to opportunity to a assemblage … that nan arrows are pointing successful nan aforesaid directions and what are nan chances that 3 aliases 4 women independently, who ne'er met each other, would person akin experiences pinch 1 person,” he said connected MSNOW’s Ari Melber successful September 2018 amid Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.

In Congress, Swalwell has been a salient professional of President Trump, serving arsenic a head of nan 2nd impeachment of nan president and often blistering Trump connected cablegram news shows.

In precocious March, nan Washington Post reported that FBI Director Kash Patel whitethorn merchandise documents astir a decade-old investigation astir Swalwell’s connections pinch a suspected Chinese spy. Swalwell trim disconnected ties pinch Christine Fang, aliases Fang Fang, successful 2015 aft intelligence officials warned him and different members of Congress astir Chinese efforts to infiltrate legislators’ offices. Swalwell was was not accused of impropriety.

After news of nan imaginable merchandise of nan files broke, Swalwell accused Trump of trying to sway nan gubernatorial predetermination and weaponizing nan national authorities against his governmental enemies.

Swalwell’s attorneys revenge a cease-and-desist missive pinch Patel and nan FBI. No documents person been released arsenic of Friday.

He was antecedently accused of owe fraud by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Swalwell sued Pulte past twelvemonth but dropped nan suit this month.

In nan gubernatorial race, Swalwell has faced disapproval from chap Democrat Tom Steyer that he was ineligible to tally for politician because he did not genuinely unrecorded successful California. Earlier this year, a Sacramento County judge ruled against a akin declare made by a blimpish filmmaker.