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Rep. Eric Swalwell Strongly Denies Sexual Assault Allegations
Sexual Assault Allegations and Swalwell's Denial
U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and a leading candidate for governor, on Friday vehemently denied accusations of sexual assault by a former congressional staffer, labeling them as "absolutely false." Swalwell posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), asserting that the allegations "did not happen" and "have never happened." While apologizing to his wife for unspecified "mistakes in judgment" in his past, he vowed to fight the current allegations.
Democratic Leadership Calls for Investigation and Background
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the woman, who previously worked in Swalwell's district office, accused him of two non-consensual sexual encounters: one in 2019 while she was employed by him, and another in 2024 after she had left his staff. The report stated that the unidentified woman claimed she had been too intoxicated on both occasions to consent. The former staffer later told CNN that Swalwell had raped her during the later encounter, a claim Swalwell strongly denied. Several leading Democratic politicians, including Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urged Swalwell to end his campaign for governor and called for a swift investigation into these "incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations."
*Source: YouTube: USA TODAY (2026-04-11)*
