Former staffer accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexually assaulting her while she was intoxicated

A former aide to Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for governor of California, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she had sex with him when he was her boss and alleged that he sexually assaulted her twice when she was too drunk to consent.

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The woman worked for Swalwell from 2019 to 2021, NBC News confirmed. The woman’s attorney declined to comment, and NBC News has not verified her allegations.

Later Friday, CNN reported allegations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell from four women, including one whose story matched the details of the Chronicle’s account. Another woman told CNN that Swalwell kissed her without her consent in public and that she drank heavily with him before ending up in his hotel room, with no idea how she got there. A third, Ally Sammarco, a Democratic influencer, said Swalwell sent her unsolicited videos of his penis.

NBC News has not independently corroborated their stories. CNN said it corroborated the women’s accounts through interviews with friends and family members, as well as by reviewing messages Swalwell exchanged with the women.

Swalwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment through his campaign, congressional office or his attorney. He told the Chronicle and CNN in identical statements that the women’s allegations were not true.

“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the favored candidate for governor,” he wrote, later adding: “I will defend myself with the facts and, if necessary, take legal action. My focus in the coming days will be to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

His lawyer also “sent CNN a letter denying that Swalwell ever had non-consensual sex with any woman or had sex with any member of his staff,” the network reported.

The former staffer told the Chronicle that in September 2019, while she was employed by him, Swalwell invited her out for a drink and she became so drunk that she no longer remembered what happened. She said she woke up naked in her hotel bed and could “feel the effect of vaginal intercourse.”

In April 2024, after she stopped working for the congressman, she said she met Swalwell for drinks after a charity gala at which he was honored. She became so drunk while drinking with him that she only remembers “snippets” of the evening, she told the newspaper. One of the flashes she remembers was of Swalwell having sex with her in her hotel room and telling her no.

The Chronicle says it reviewed text messages she sent to a friend about the encounter three days later, in which she notably told Swalwell to stop. The newspaper also interviewed her then-boyfriend, who confirmed she told him about the alleged assault, and its reporters viewed medical records showing she later took pregnancy and STD tests.

In the days leading up to the article’s publication Friday, rumors circulated on social media left and right about possible allegations against the congressman related to sexual misconduct. Swalwell was asked about the rumors by a KTXL reporter in Sacramento, who said she asked him if he ever had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member or intern. “That’s not true,” he replied.

Swalwell’s campaign attempted to gain the upper hand on any story, issuing a rare but vehement preemptive denial, saying the congressman had not engaged in any inappropriate behavior.

“This false and outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before the start of an election by stirring up opponents who have unfortunately joined forces with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the front-runner in this race,” campaign spokesperson Micah Beasley said Wednesday.

The statement did not mention or address any specific allegations, but said in response to some online rumors that Swalwell had not asked anyone in his office to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The Chronicle report did not contain any allegations related to NDAs.

“In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell’s congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever,” Beasley said in his Wednesday statement. “In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint from a staff member in his office or any other office has been filed. Ever.”

After the Chronicle article published Friday, several Democrats withdrew their support for Swalwell’s campaign. Perhaps most notably, Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, a fellow Bay Area Democrat who has been a close ally of Swalwell, suggested he drop out of the race.

“This extremely sensitive matter must be properly investigated with full transparency and accountability,” she said in a statement, adding, “As I have discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that this is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

Reps. Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, both California Democrats, said they were stepping down as co-chairs of Swalwell’s campaign and called on him to drop his candidacy.

“Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct during his term in office are deeply disturbing. Harassment, abuse and violence of any kind are unacceptable,” Gray said on X.

Gomez called the allegations “shocking” and “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” adding that Swalwell “should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction or delay.”

Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell, said he was withdrawing his support, adding that he regretted “coming to his defense on social media before knowing all the information. I am equally shocked and upset by what happened.”

“What is described is indefensible,” Gallego said. “Women who tell stories like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed. »

The California Teachers Association also suspended its support for Swalwell, while the California Federation of Labor Unions — which had supported Swalwell and three other Democratic candidates in the gubernatorial race — said it was “acting with urgency” to “determine next steps.”

The top three House Democrats: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California. — released a joint statement Friday evening calling on Swalwell to end his campaign.

“Following the incredibly disturbing accusations of sexual assault made against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we are calling for a prompt investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to become California’s next governor,” the Democratic leaders said.

As of Friday, all of Swalwell’s campaign ads for his gubernatorial bid on Facebook and Instagram were listed as “inactive,” including ads that ran earlier in the day, according to a review of Meta’s ad archives.

The California gubernatorial primary will take place on June 2, and early voting will begin on May 4.

Swalwell, 45, has served in Congress since 2013 and launched a failed, long-shot bid for the White House in 2020.

He was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during his two terms in office. After the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, Pelosi named Swalwell, a lawyer, one of nine Democratic impeachment prosecutors.

Swalwell’s harsh criticism of the president has made him a target of Trump’s allies and the right. In early 2023, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., blocked Swalwell from serving on the House Intelligence Committee, citing his ties to a 2014 campaign volunteer who was later suspected of being a Chinese spy, Christina Fang. That year, the House Ethics Committee took no action against Swalwell after a two-year investigation into the matter.

Swalwell severed ties with Fang in 2015 after the FBI gave her what is called a “defensive” briefing that she was working for Beijing and targeting several emerging local politicians in the San Francisco Bay Area. Swalwell has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the Fang case and said he helped the FBI with its investigation.

Last month, Swalwell asked the FBI not to release files related to his past association with the alleged Chinese intelligence agent.