California gubernatorial candidate Swalwell denies sexual assault allegations
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and leading candidate for governor, on Friday (April 10) flatly denied accusations of sexual assault by a former congressional staffer, calling them “completely false.” Kristi Kilburn reports.
Congressman Eric Swalwell announced on Sunday, April 12th that he is suspending his campaign for California governor after being accused by several women of sexual assault and misconduct.
“I am canceling my gubernatorial campaign. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I deeply apologize for my past errors in judgment. I intend to fight against the serious and false allegations that have been made, but that is my fight, not my campaign’s,” the Democrat said in a statement to X.
The announcement comes after several prominent Democrats withdrew their support for the congressman and called on Swalwell, the Democratic front-runner in polls, to withdraw from the California gubernatorial race. Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported that a woman who previously worked in Swalwell’s district office accused him of two counts of nonconsensual sexual touching.
CNN also reported that three other women have made allegations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell. He has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” and vowing to fight them.
Mr. Swalwell, 45, was first elected to Congress in 2012 representing the Northern California District outside Oakland, California, and was the Alameda County prosecutor. He was also a strong candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, but subsequently dropped out and supported the eventual winner, Joe Biden.
Democrats have called on Swalwell to stop running for California governor.
In an April 10 statement, three Democratic House leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, called on Swalwell to end his bid for governor. They also called for an investigation into allegations made by a former staff member and three other women.
“Following the deeply disturbing sexual assault allegations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we are calling for an immediate investigation into these incidents and for the congressman to immediately halt his campaign to become California’s next governor,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “This is unacceptable to anyone, certainly not an elected official, and must be taken seriously.”
Separately, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she advised Mr. Swalwell to step down as a candidate for governor to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose term ends in 2027.
“The young women who made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell deserve to be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be properly investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it’s clear that this is best done outside of the gubernatorial race.”
In separate television interviews on April 12, Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Eugene Vindman each said Mr. Swalwell should resign from Congress. An open letter released late April 12 and signed by more than 50 of Swalwell’s former employees called the allegations serious and credible and called for Swalwell to resign from Congress and withdraw from the California gubernatorial race.
Manhattan District Attorney launches investigation into Swalwell suspect
According to Reuters, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed on April 11 that it is investigating sexual assault allegations against Swalwell.
The New York Times reported that the district attorney is investigating Swalwell for allegedly assaulting a woman in New York City in 2024. The accusations, which are under investigation, come from former employees, The Washington Post reported.
Reuters also reported that the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it was investigating Swalwell for allegedly illegally hiring a Brazilian nanny. Politico first reported on the USCIS investigation.
“These allegations are serious. USCIS has referred the matter to the Department of Homeland Security law enforcement agency for investigation,” a USCIS spokesperson told Reuters in a statement.
Contributors: Terry Collins and Noe Padilla, USA TODAY. Reuters
