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Eric Swalwell Faces Assault Allegations as Campaign Staff and Unions Withdraw Support

Eric Swalwell Faces Assault Allegations as Campaign Staff and Unions Withdraw Support
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Representative Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, faced a political crisis Friday after an ex-staffer alleged he sexually assaulted her twice — in 2019 while she worked for him and again in 2024 — accusations he has strongly denied. Within hours of detailed news reports, senior campaign aides resigned and major unions froze their backing, throwing the June 2 primary into turmoil sfchronicle +2.

The woman, who worked in Swalwell’s office from 2019 to 2021, told the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN she had a sometimes-consensual relationship with Swalwell but said he assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent, including an alleged rape in April 2024 after she’d left his staff sfchronicle +2. Three other women have also described alleged misconduct ranging from unwanted groping to unsolicited nude photos, according to CNN latimes.

What the Former Staffer and Other Women Allege

The ex-staffer said the first assault occurred in September 2019, after heavy drinking during a work trip; she recalled blacking out and waking up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed, later concluding she had been too drunk to consent sfchronicle +1. She alleged a second assault at a gala in April 2024, saying she drank with Swalwell, became extremely intoxicated, and awoke in his hotel room bruised and bleeding, claiming she pushed him off while saying “no” sfchronicle +1.

Texts reviewed by reporters show her telling friends the next day, “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” and medical records indicate she sought pregnancy and STD tests soon after the alleged 2024 encounter, outlets reported sfchronicle +2. CNN also quoted three other women alleging unwanted sexual advances, including social media creator Ally Sammarco, who said Swalwell sent her unsolicited nude photos via Snapchat in 2021 latimes. None of the women has filed a public criminal complaint as of Friday, and the primary accuser said she feared not being believed sfchronicle +2.

Swalwell’s Denial and the Rapid Political Fallout

Swalwell, 45, flatly rejected the allegations, calling them “false” and politically timed to damage the front-runner in a high-stakes governor’s race weeks before early voting begins nytimes +1. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action,” he said in a statement latimes. His attorney has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two women, warning of defamation suits politico +1.

The reports nonetheless triggered an immediate exodus: multiple senior aides quit, his two congressional co-chairs, Reps. Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, stepped down and urged him to leave the race, and powerful labor allies including the California Teachers Association, SEIU California and the California Labor Federation suspended their support politico +2. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the “extremely sensitive matter” should be investigated outside the context of a gubernatorial campaign nytimes +1. Some former staffers interviewed by CNN said they had never seen inappropriate behavior, offering a counter-narrative to the alleged pattern latimes.

The Bigger Picture

The allegations landed in an already volatile contest to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, where Democrats fear a fractured field could open a path for Republicans in deep-blue California nytimes. With no criminal case or ethics complaint yet filed, the dispute has moved first through the media and party institutions, testing Democrats’ response to #MeToo-era accusations against one of their own. Whether Swalwell can survive the loss of key staff, donors and endorsements — and how voters weigh contested but extensively reported allegations against his denials — now looms as a defining question of the 2026 governor’s race politico +2.