The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, led by Trump foe Alvin Bragg, has opened an investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) over sexual assault allegations made by one of his former staffers.
Swalwell was accused of having sex with an ex-staffer in his hotel bed while she was intoxicated, preventing her from giving consent. The alleged incident took place in New York City in April 2024 after she had already stopped working in Swalwell’s office.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the unnamed woman told CNN. “He didn’t stop.”
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“We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373,” the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said on Saturday. “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
The San Francisco Chronicle broke the story on Friday that a former Swalwell staffer accused her boss of assaulting her twice when she was too intoxicated to give consent. The staffer, 21 when she first joined the congressman’s staff, started working at Swalwell’s congressional district office in California in 2019 and later transferred to his office in Washington, D.C. She worked there until 2021.
The staffer alleged that Swalwell sent photos of his genitals and asked her for nude pictures in exchange. She also recounted how she performed oral sex on him in a parking lot when requested. The sexual behavior continued, with Swalwell allegedly forcing himself onto her after drinking alcohol once in September 2019 and the other time in April 2024.
Three additional women came forward with similar claims against Swalwell.
Swalwell strongly denies the allegations, calling them “absolutely false” and politically timed.
“They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have,” he said in a video released late Friday. “They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the front-runner candidate for governor in California.”
The allegations have drastically upended his gubernatorial campaign since they came to light on Friday. Many Democrats promptly urged him to drop out of the race. The embattled candidate has not made a decision about his campaign’s future yet. He said an update will be forthcoming.
Swalwell is currently spending the weekend with his family and friends before Congress returns to session on Tuesday.
The congressman is expected to face an expulsion vote pushed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) next week, Axios reported. Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), who is also running for governor of California, explicitly called for Swalwell to resign from Congress and end his gubernatorial bid.
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“But those decisions do not absolve him of taking responsibility for his misconduct, especially when he has attempted to silence and retaliate against these victims,” Porter wrote on X. “These allegations merit full investigations, and these women deserve the right to pursue justice.”
“Too often, men escape any consequence for sexual misconduct by stepping out of power,” she said. “That is a first and necessary step towards justice because it limits the ability for further harm. I stand with these women as they seek justice.”
