Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, one of the leading candidates for California governor, came under increasing pressure Friday to drop out of the race following statements by former female staffers that they were sexually assaulted by him.
Swalwell denied the allegations but his campaign manager and several senior campaign staffers resigned.
Swalwell had racked up endorsements across the Democratic establishment, but a handful of the state’s most powerful labor unions and public officials who backed him had dropped their support by Friday afternoon. Some, including U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, also called for him to exit the race.
Nearly all the other Democratic candidates called for him to immediately drop out, including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, billionaire Tom Steyer, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Controller Betty Yee, who called the allegations “sickening.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported April 10 that a woman who worked in Swalwell’s Castro Valley office claimed to have had sexual encounters with him while she worked for him and alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was intoxicated.
The report comes after weeks of rumors that Swalwell had inappropriate interactions with staff for years. On one instance in 2019, the woman said she became intoxicated after Swalwell asked her for drinks and woke up in his bed in a hotel room, feeling the effects of intercourse.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. 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 said in a statement Friday.
CNN published a separate report later Friday with the same allegations, as well as from another woman who said Swalwell touched her and kissed her at a bar, then she ended up in his hotel room with no memory of how she got there. CNN also quoted two other women who said he had sent them sexual images and text messages.
In recent weeks, two social media influencers began posting online what many people had considered rumors about Swalwell’s behavior with women. The influencers said they had spoken with several young women with whom Swalwell had behaved inappropriately. CalMatters has not independently verified the claims.
Swalwell pushed back hard against the allegations this week, telling reporters at a town hall in Sacramento on Tuesday that they are “false,” that he had “never” had a sexual relationship with anyone who worked for him. He suggested the allegations were politically motivated.
“I don’t want there to be any question in the minds of Californians,” he said. “I’m offering myself also as somebody who is fearlessly going to stand up for Californians on the toughest issues and not flinch.”
An attorney for Swalwell sent cease-and-desist letters to some of the women, one of the influencers, Arielle Fodor, wrote online. The attorney, Elias Dabaie, did not respond to a request for comment on the Chronicle story but confirmed to other news outlets the letter’s authenticity.
On Thursday night, Swalwell canceled a planned town hall in Southern California. Swalwell began calling groups that have endorsed him Friday morning to tell them of an upcoming story in the Chronicle, and denying the story, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to CalMatters.
At least four of his senior campaign staffers, including a top consultant who helped him court labor support, abruptly resigned before the news report.
Some groups that have endorsed Swalwell declined to comment on the allegations when reached by CalMatters, saying their board members needed time to digest the news.
For others, the exodus was swift. U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who chaired Swalwell’s campaign, resigned from the role Friday and called on Swalwell to drop out. He called the allegations “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable.”
“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust,” he said in a statement. “The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay.”
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, withdrew his support Friday and said he regretted defending Swalwell earlier. “What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed.”
Reps. Ted Lieu, Adam Gray, Doris Matsui and Mike Thompson, all California Democrats, also pulled their endorsements.
The powerhouse union California Teachers Association immediately suspended its support of Swalwell and a few hours later its board voted to rescind its endorsement, calling the allegations against him “incredibly disturbing and unacceptable” in a statement by President David Goldberg.
Another heavyweight union that endorsed him, Service Employees International Union California, suspended at least one ad buy in support of Swalwell following the accusations.
The California Medical Association, another backer, was convening an emergency meeting of the board, and “takes these allegations extremely seriously,” said spokesperson Erin Mellon.
The California Labor Federation, an umbrella organization of the state’s unions, had endorsed Swalwell and three other Democrats. President Lorena Gonzalez said members were shocked by the allegations.
