A billionaire Democrat megadonor with close ties to disgraced former Congressman Eric Swalwell of California was reportedly arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on a felony charge of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness from testifying.
Businessman Stephen Cloobeck was taken into police custody by LA County Sheriff’s deputies and released several hours later after posting a $300,000 bond, TMZ reported.
It remains unclear which witness Cloobeck allegedly contacted.
Cloobeck’s attorney, Elias Dabaie, told TMZ that the “charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.”
Cloobeck, former CEO of Diamond Resorts International, cut ties with Swalwell in April following allegations of sexual assault, drugging, and rape that resulted in his resignation from Congress and his withdrawal from the California governor’s race.
The billionaire also kicked Swalwell out of his mansion, where the former lawmaker was staying, only hours before he dropped out of the gubernatorial race, according to the New York Post.
“I am no longer supporting Eric,” Cloobeck told the outlet during an exclusive interview. “Tell everyone I’m a libertarian … I’m a libertarian now,” he said, while also hurling expletives at the Democratic Party.
Clookbeck, who also ran for governor of California before dropping out in November 2025, donated over $1 million to Swalwell’s campaign before the scandal broke. Now he said he wants that money back.
CBS News reported on Cloobeck’s announcement that he was dropping out of the race last year, highlighting how he framed Swalwell as the paradigm of integrity due to his willingness to “fight the fight and protect people.”
“I only ran for Governor because I believe none of the other candidates are capable of doing the job,” he said. “So when Eric [Swalwell] decided to do this, I realized he is absolutely the right person for the job, and the best thing I could do would be to step aside and support him 100 percent.”
“If Eric weren’t in this race, I’d still be in it,” Cloobeck declared at the time. “But I am leaving this race because the most qualified person in the state is now running for governor.”
Polling for the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race has gone back and forth over the past several months. Republicans Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco have led the pack for the GOP, and at one point were in the top two slots, respectively.
An Emerson College survey released Wednesday, however, showed former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra leading the field at 19 percent, followed by Hilton and Tom Steyer, both at 17 percent. Bianco was in fourth at 11 percent.
The poll was conducted from May 9-10, surveyed 1,000 likely primary voters, and had a margin of error of +/- 3.0.
California has a jungle primary system, meaning the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
If two Republicans finish first and second, there would be no Democrats on the ticket.
Despite the Democratic Party benefiting from this system for over 15 years and locking out GOP nominees in general elections, the razor-thin margin in the governor’s race seems to have them rethinking the primary process.
A Monday report from KTXL-TV said Democratic consultant Steven Maviglio has been working on a proposed ballot amendment that was filed Friday to repeal it and return to a normal primary system.
Maviglio is aiming to have the ballot measure ready for November 2028, so it is unlikely to affect the November midterms.
Republican state Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez called the effort a “power grab by insiders terrified of losing control.”
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