On April 12, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the California governor’s race just days after sexual assault allegations against him surfaced.
Swalwell took to X to personally address the allegations and his dropping out. He wrote, “I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
According to an April NBC News article written by Kyla Guilfoil, Melanie Zanona, Scott Wong and Alexandra Marquez titled “Eric Swalwell drops bid for California governor after sexual misconduct allegations”, a former staffer of Swalwell informed The San Francisco Chronicle that she and Swalwell had two sexual interactions while working under him, both of which took place while she was “too intoxicated to consent.” Her identity has been confirmed that she did in fact work in Swalwell’s office from 2019 to 2021. The Chronicle was able to interview her boyfriend at the time, and he said that she confided in him about the incidents. Furthermore, medical records were reviewed, and it has been verified that she pursued STD and pregnancy testing after that alleged assault. Swalwell told the San Francisco Chronicle personally that these statements were “false.”
According to Allison Gordon, Isabelle Chapman, Casey Tolan, and Pamela Brown at CNN, three other women came forward and accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct. One of these women has been confirmed to be Democratic influencer Ally Sammarco, who claimed Swalwell sent her inappropriate and unsolicited photos.
According to NBC News, Swalwell still denies these claims, saying on X, “They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have,” Swalwell said in the video. In a statement released Friday, former House Speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. adds, “This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” she said. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
