Eric Swalwell’s run for California governor is imploding after multiple women have accused him of sexual assault, including one former staffer who says he raped her.
Top aides began jumping ship even before the allegations were published, with at least five staffers exiting the California congressman’s campaign, according to Politico.
The fallout quickly spread beyond campaign ranks, with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a key surrogate who helped introduce Swalwell to power brokers in Sacramento, urging him to quit the race.
“Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” Gomez said in a statement.
“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately.”
California Sen. Adam Schiff also withdrew his endorsement, saying he was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
“This woman was brave to come forward, and we should take her story seriously,” Schiff said in a post on X.
“I am withdrawing my endorsement immediately, and believe that he should withdraw from the race.”
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego also withdrew his endorsement, calling the allegations “indefensible.”
“I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information,” he said in a post on X.
“I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement calling for an immediate investigation into the matter, and spoke with Swalwell directly about withdrawing from the race.
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
The campaign’s collapse follows reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle detailing allegations from multiple women, including a former staffer who says Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent.
The unnamed woman said Swalwell began pursuing her shortly after she was hired in 2019 at age 21, allegedly messaging her on Snapchat and sending explicit images while seeking nude photos in return.
She said the encounters soon turned physical, recalling a 2019 night where she blacked out after drinks with Swalwell and later woke up naked in his hotel bed, according to the Chronicle.
Years later, in April 2024, the woman said she again met Swalwell for drinks following a charity gala and became heavily intoxicated.
In messages reviewed by the Chronicle, she wrote that she had “blacked out” but “woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point” as he allegedly forced himself on her.
In an interview with CNN, she said the 2024 encounter amounted to rape.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” she said. “He didn’t stop.”
Three other women also told CNN they experienced various forms of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including unsolicited explicit messages and unwanted advances, describing a pattern of behavior.
Swalwell has denied the allegations, framing them as politically motivated.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor,” he said in a statement.
“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.”
Swalwell’s attorney has also moved aggressively to push back on the claims, issuing cease-and-desist letters to at least one accuser and others repeating the allegations.
The lawyer told the Los Angeles Times there were “multiple baseless allegations” and that the congressman’s team was “attacking them on all fronts.”
CNN reported that one staffer quit immediately after the outlet presented the campaign with detailed questions about the allegations.
The accuser, however, has refused to retract her claims. Her attorney told the Chronicle that her account is “100 percent factually accurate.”
The allegations land just weeks before ballots are set to be mailed in California’s primary, threatening to upend what had been a competitive Democratic field.
Until recently, Swalwell had been gaining traction, backed by major labor unions and leveraging his national profile as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump.
Now, that momentum appears to be collapsing as quickly as his campaign ranks.
Swalwell did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
