Former Staffer Accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of Sexual Assault; Pelosi, Schiff and California Democrats Withdraw Support and Urge Him to Exit Governor’s Race
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A former staffer who says she was hired at 21 alleges Rep. Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her in two incidents — waking up naked in his hotel bed after blacking out in 2019 and being forced on during a 2024 charity gala, accounts the San Francisco Chronicle and other outlets say were backed by contemporaneous text messages and medical records — and she told friends soon after while not going to police because she feared not being believed. Swalwell denies the allegations as false and politically timed and has threatened legal action while his attorney sent a cease‑and‑desist; the report prompted broad political fallout, with Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, Sen. Ruben Gallego, the California Democratic establishment and the California Teachers Association withdrawing support and urging he leave the governor’s race.