Photo: Alex Wild | CC0 | Wikimedia Commons
Swalwell Faces Expulsion Push, Labor and DHS Complaints, and California Sexual-Assault Probe; Attorney Publicly Denies Misconduct and Cites ‘Lapses in Judgment’
Rep. Eric Swalwell is facing multiple sexual‑misconduct allegations from former staffers—reporters say contemporaneous text messages and medical records support at least one accuser’s account—and California prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation while Republicans have moved to expel him and Democrats, unions and all 21 House endorsers have withdrawn support. Swalwell’s attorney Elias Dabaie says he “categorically denies any misconduct” but concedes potential “lapses in judgment,” noting cease‑and‑desist letters have been sent and calling the timing suspect as Swalwell vows to fight the claims and remain in the governor’s race; separate Labor and DHS complaints also allege improper campaign payments and work‑authorization issues involving the family’s former nanny.
📌 Key Facts
- A former staffer, hired in 2019 at age 21, alleges two separate sexual assaults by Rep. Eric Swalwell: in 2019 she says she blacked out after drinks and woke up naked in his hotel bed, and in 2024 she says she awoke bleeding and bruised after telling him 'no' and pushing him away following a charity gala; she sought pregnancy and STD tests about a week after the 2024 incident.
- The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed contemporaneous text messages in which the woman told a friend she had been 'sexually assaulted' and interviewed people she told at the time who said she appeared disoriented; some outlets note they have not independently verified the accuser’s identity or all aspects of the account.
- Multiple other women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and improper communications — including unsolicited explicit messages or photos (often via Snapchat) — and one accuser alleges inappropriate contact beginning when she was a minor and Swalwell was an adult.
- Swalwell has publicly and repeatedly denied the sexual‑assault allegations as 'false' or 'flat‑out false,' released video and written statements, and his attorney has sent cease‑and‑desist letters and threatened legal action; his lawyer has also said Swalwell 'categorically denies any misconduct' while acknowledging 'potential lapses in judgment' and arguing the timing may be politically motivated.
- The allegations have produced swift political fallout: major labor groups (including SEIU California and the California Teachers Association) suspended endorsements, at least 21 Democratic members of Congress rescinded endorsements of Swalwell, several Democratic leaders (including Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Ruben Gallego and Hakeem Jeffries) have called for investigations or urged withdrawal, and campaign staff and advisers have departed or had events canceled.
- California prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into at least one of the sexual‑assault allegations; investigators say they are gathering evidence but no criminal charges have been filed to date.
- Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna announced plans to file a House motion to expel Swalwell and has invited alleged victims to contact her office, arguing he should not remain in Congress while facing the allegations.
- Separately, a Department of Labor complaint and a February Department of Homeland Security complaint allege Swalwell and his wife improperly used campaign funds to pay their live‑in nanny, Amanda Barbosa, while she lacked valid work authorization; FEC records cited in reporting list payments to Barbosa (about $3,914 in 2021, $46,930 in 2022 and $38,905 in 2025) and roughly $52,262 in 'childcare' reimbursements to Swalwell, and reporting outlines the nanny’s visa history and sponsorship beginning December 2022.
📊 Relevant Data
No members of the U.S. House of Representatives have been expelled solely for sexual misconduct allegations; historical expulsions since the Civil War have been for reasons such as supporting the Confederacy, bribery, or racketeering.
Expulsion of Members of Congress: Legal Authority and Historical Practice — Congressional Research Service
In a 2023 study, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to believe sexual misconduct allegations against politicians, with partisan bias influencing perceptions of legitimacy.
Partisan Bias in Responses to Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Male Politicians — Journal of Social and Political Psychology
As of 2023, au pairs in the U.S. are 91.5% women, with the most common ethnicity being White (55.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.8%), and many originating from countries like Brazil due to program participation patterns.
From 2020 to 2026, several states faced federal freezes on child care funds due to fraud and misuse concerns, with issues including improper payments and lack of oversight in programs supporting low-income families.
HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States Over Fraud Concerns — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
In a 2024 national study, individuals with disabilities reported higher rates of workplace sexual harassment and assault, with 25% experiencing such incidents compared to lower rates in the general population.
A National Study of Sexual Harassment and Assault in the United States — Newcomb Institute at Tulane University
📰 Source Timeline (15)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 12, 2026
2:46 PM
Swalwell attorney denies misconduct, says congressman took accountability for 'lapses in judgment'
New information:
- Swalwell’s attorney Elias Dabaie, in a CNN interview, said the congressman 'categorically denies any misconduct took place' while acknowledging 'potential lapses in judgment.'
- Dabaie confirmed Swalwell intends to continue his campaign despite loss of major endorsements and calls from Democratic allies Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego for him to drop out.
- The attorney questioned the 'timing' and 'credibility' of the allegations given they surfaced 25 days before the gubernatorial election, framing them as potentially politically motivated.
- Dabaie said Swalwell’s legal team has sent cease‑and‑desist letters to some accusers and is evaluating further legal action but declined to engage specific medical records or contemporaneous messages cited in reporting.
9:02 AM
What We Know About the Eric Swalwell Sexual Misconduct Allegations
New information:
- The NYT piece systematically lays out what is publicly known about each sexual misconduct allegation against Rep. Eric Swalwell, including dates, settings, and the nature of the alleged conduct, distinguishing between accusations and confirmed facts.
- It details which claims are supported by contemporaneous documentation (texts, medical records, complaint filings) versus those that rest solely on accusers’ accounts, and clarifies what investigators and prosecutors have and have not confirmed to date.
- It provides additional context on Swalwell’s public and legal response strategies, including the scope of his denials, his legal team’s cease-and-desist efforts, and how his office is portraying the accusations.
- The article clarifies the current procedural posture of the California criminal investigation—what stage it is at, what charges (if any) are under consideration, and what officials have said on the record.
- It summarizes how Democratic leadership and key caucuses are handling Swalwell (endorsement withdrawals, committee dynamics, internal pressure), adding nuance beyond the headline fact that endorsements were pulled.
- It situates the new Labor and DHS nanny-employment complaints in the broader context of House ethics norms and prior FEC guidance on campaign-funded childcare, including what is clearly alleged to be illegal versus what is simply under review.
4:16 AM
Eric Swalwell accused of paying nanny with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization
New information:
- A complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor alleges Eric Swalwell and his wife Brittany lied in connection with keeping their live-in nanny, Amanda Barbosa, employed in the U.S.
- A separate Department of Homeland Security complaint filed in February by filmmaker and activist Joel Gilbert alleges Swalwell paid Barbosa with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly lacked valid work authorization.
- FEC data cited in the article show Barbosa was paid $3,914 in campaign funds in 2021, $46,930 in 2022, and $38,905 in 2025, while about $52,262 in campaign 'childcare' expenses were reimbursed directly to Swalwell.
- Barbosa came to the U.S. on an au pair visa, was later sponsored by Swalwell for a green card starting December 2022, and subsequently enrolled on a student visa that generally barred off‑campus work even as photos show her continuing childcare activities in 2023–2024.
April 11, 2026
10:20 PM
Eric Swalwell loses all 21 of his endorsements from Democratic colleagues in Congress
New information:
- All 21 Democratic colleagues in Congress who had endorsed Eric Swalwell’s 2026 re-election have now withdrawn or rescinded their endorsements.
- Axios specifies the exact number of lost endorsements (21) and that they were all from fellow Democratic members of Congress, not just local officials or unions.
- The withdrawals come after the opening of a criminal sexual-assault investigation by California prosecutors and after earlier union and Democratic-official defections already reported elsewhere.
8:00 PM
Swalwell faces expulsion effort following bombshell assault allegations
New information:
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna used a Fox News appearance ('Saturday in America') to reiterate that she is moving forward with a motion to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell and says she plans to bring the disciplinary motion next week.
- Luna frames her effort as a 'hard reset' on ethics, says she is 'not [going to] serve with these sexual deviants,' and argues Swalwell should not be paid by taxpayers or remain in office while facing the allegations.
- She publicly invites the alleged victims to contact her congressional office, saying they 'deserve a platform' and that she will provide one.
- The piece re‑airs Swalwell’s video response in which he states the sexual assault allegations are 'flat‑out false,' insists 'they did not happen,' and vows to 'fight them with everything that I have.'
7:25 PM
Investigation Opened Into Sexual Assault Allegation Against Swalwell
New information:
- California authorities have formally opened a criminal investigation into at least one sexual assault allegation against Rep. Eric Swalwell.
- The investigation focuses on an incident described by a former staffer (or woman connected to his campaign) that allegedly occurred in a specific year and location, with prosecutors now reviewing available evidence.
- Swalwell’s legal team is responding directly to the opening of the investigation, reiterating his denial and characterizing the probe as politically motivated, while investigators emphasize they are in the evidence‑gathering phase and have not brought charges.
6:40 PM
House Republican plans motion to oust Swalwell from Congress amid sexual assault allegations
New information:
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., says she will file a motion to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell from Congress over the sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
- Luna made the announcement in a Saturday tweet and reiterated it on Fox News, arguing it is ‘unacceptable’ for Swalwell to suspend his governor campaign yet remain in the House.
- Fox recounts that at least four former female staffers have accused Swalwell of sexual impropriety, including one who says he began Snapchat messaging her when she was 17 and he was 38, sending inappropriate images and requesting nude photos.
- That same accuser alleges she woke up alone in Swalwell’s hotel room in 2024 after a night she did not remember and discovered vaginal bleeding, according to the San Francisco Chronicle account cited.
- Swalwell, who is married with children, has publicly denied the sexual assault allegations as ‘false and outrageous,’ and his attorney has sent at least one cease-and-desist letter to an accuser.
- The piece notes that prominent Democrats including Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi, and Sen. Ruben Gallego are now urging Swalwell to drop out of the California governor’s race, with Gallego reversing a prior supportive statement.
2:30 PM
Swalwell calls sexual misconduct allegations 'flat out false,' says he will fight them 'with everything'
New information:
- Swalwell released a video on April 10, 2026, on X explicitly calling the sexual assault allegations 'flat out false' and 'absolutely false' and saying he will 'fight them with everything that I have.'
- He characterizes prior 'mistakes in judgment' as matters between him and his wife, apologizes for putting her and his supporters in this position, but maintains that the alleged assaults 'did not happen' and 'have never happened.'
- Fox notes that several top Democratic supporters have already withdrawn their endorsements and that some are urging him to drop out, while confirming he remains in the California gubernatorial race as of Saturday morning.
- The article repeats specific alleged conduct from the Chronicle report, including claims that Swalwell pressured the staffer for nude photos, sent her explicit images, exposed himself while driving, and that she repeatedly blacked out and woke up naked in his hotel bed.
1:09 PM
Swalwell ripped for changing his tune on how sexual assault victims 'deserve to be heard'
New information:
- Swalwell’s lawyer, Elias Dabaie, reportedly sent cease-and-desist letters to his accusers on Thursday, the day before multiple outlets published detailed sexual assault allegations.
- Fox highlights and quotes a resurfaced 2018 MSNBC clip in which Swalwell said sexual assault victims 'deserve to be heard' and urged that all Kavanaugh accusers be brought in to testify, framing this against his current posture.
- Legal scholar Jonathan Turley publicly criticized Swalwell on X, saying he is 'hoping that voters will apply a different standard than the one he applied to Justice Brett Kavanaugh' and that he 'was leading the mob' during the Kavanaugh fight.
- Former Senate Judiciary chief counsel Mike Davis resurfaced past Swalwell posts attacking Kavanaugh and called him a 'hypocritical predator' on social media.
- The piece recaps that Cheyenne Hunt began circulating testimony from women alleging sexual assault by Swalwell last month, which preceded the Chronicle/CNN 'bombshell' reports.
- Fox notes Swalwell has tried to downplay the allegations while leading a crowded Democratic field for California governor and that he posted a denial video on X late Friday night after the reports ran.
6:38 AM
Allies yank support for Swalwell's California governor run after sexual assault allegations
New information:
- ABC/AP piece confirms that powerful labor unions including SEIU California and the California Teachers Association have suspended their endorsements of Swalwell, and the California Federation of Labor is 'acting urgently' on next steps.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had largely stayed out of the succession race, issued a statement calling the multiple allegations 'deeply troubling' and saying they must be taken seriously.
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she spoke directly with Swalwell and suggested an investigation be conducted 'outside of a gubernatorial campaign.'
- House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, via a spokesperson, called for a 'serious and thorough investigation' into the allegations.
- Swalwell publicly reiterated that the allegations are 'flat false' and said he would spend the weekend with family and friends before announcing his next steps 'very soon.'
- Article specifies that the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed text messages about the alleged 2024 assault and interviewed people the accuser told at the time, while AP notes it has not independently verified her account or identity.
12:45 AM
Pelosi, California Dems slam Swalwell over bombshell sexual assault allegations: 'Indefensible'
New information:
- Nancy Pelosi said the young woman’s allegations 'must be respected and heard' and told media that addressing them is 'best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,' signaling she no longer backs Swalwell’s run.
- Sen. Adam Schiff said he was 'deeply distressed' by the Chronicle’s account, called the accuser 'brave,' announced he was withdrawing his endorsement 'immediately,' and stated that he believes Swalwell should withdraw from the race.
- California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks issued a statement calling the allegations 'disturbing,' saying victims 'should be heard and believed,' and urging all gubernatorial candidates to reassess the viability of their campaigns.
- Rival Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan publicly told Swalwell to 'drop out' and declared to the accuser, 'I believe you,' framing continued party support as a credibility test on holding abusers accountable.
- Swalwell’s campaign endorsement page reportedly went to an error page after the Chronicle report and ensuing wave of withdrawn endorsements.
12:36 AM
California Rep. Swalwell denies assault allegations
New information:
- Confirms the alleged victim worked for Swalwell in 2019 when the first alleged assault occurred and describes the second alleged assault as taking place after a 2024 charity gala.
- Details that the woman says she was too intoxicated to consent in both alleged incidents and that she did not go to police because she feared not being believed.
- Reports that Swalwell’s attorney Elias Debaie sent at least one cease-and-desist letter to the woman, calling the allegations 'baseless.'
- Adds that the California Teachers Association suspended its support for Swalwell on Friday afternoon.
- Notes that multiple Democratic rivals (Betty Yee, Tony Thurmond, Matt Mahan) openly urged him to drop out, while Katie Porter and Tom Steyer expressed support for the accuser but stopped short of calling for his withdrawal.
- Clarifies that at a Tuesday campaign event Swalwell said he has never had a sexual relationship with a staff member or intern and that he canceled a planned Thursday campaign event in Palm Springs.
April 10, 2026
11:40 PM
Former staffer accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexual assault, report says
New information:
- Confirms that the accuser was hired at age 21 in 2019 to work in Swalwell’s district office and alleges he began pursuing her romantically within weeks.
- Details her account that in 2019 she became too intoxicated to remember events after drinks with Swalwell and woke up naked in his hotel bed, after which he allegedly distanced himself.
- Provides her description of the 2024 charity-gala night: she says she remembers fragments including pushing him away and saying 'no' as he allegedly forced himself on her.
- Reports contemporaneous text messages, independently reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle, in which she told a friend three days after the 2024 incident that she had been sexually assaulted, saying she blacked out, woke up during it, and told him to stop.
- Notes that the Chronicle interviewed both the friend and an ex‑boyfriend who say she told them about the alleged 2024 assault shortly afterward and appeared disoriented.
- Adds that medical records show she sought pregnancy and STD tests about a week after the 2024 incident.
- Quotes Swalwell’s full denial statement emphasizing his public‑service record, calling the allegations false and politically timed, and threatening to 'bring legal action.'
- Reveals that Swalwell’s attorney sent the woman a cease‑and‑desist letter accusing her of making false claims and warning of legal action if she does not retract.
- Reports that a separate CNN story includes accounts from three other women alleging various forms of sexual misconduct, including unsolicited inappropriate messages or photos allegedly sent by Swalwell, often via Snapchat.
- Notes early political fallout in his gubernatorial campaign, including the resignation of strategic adviser Courtni Pugh and other departures ahead of the Chronicle’s report, with online backlash and unverified claims circulating.
11:25 PM
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell denies sexually assaulting former staffer
New information:
- Swalwell issued a public statement calling the allegations 'false,' framing them as coming 'on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor,' and threatened to take legal action against the accuser.
- CBS confirms additional detail from the accuser’s account, including that she says she woke up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed in 2019 after blacking out, and in 2024 awoke bleeding and bruised after allegedly telling him 'no' while he forced himself on her.
- The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed contemporaneous 2024 text messages in which the woman told a friend she was 'sexually assaulted' by Swalwell and described a prior blackout incident with him; CBS relays that verification step.
- Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez, serving as a campaign chair for Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, publicly called on Swalwell to leave the race immediately and cut ties with his campaign.
- Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Adam Schiff withdrew their endorsements; Gallego said what is described is 'indefensible' and apologized for having previously defended Swalwell, and Schiff said he was 'deeply distressed' and urged Swalwell to withdraw from the race.
- The California Teachers Association rescinded its support, calling the allegations 'incredibly disturbing and unacceptable.'