Tipsheet

Eric Swalwell Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations in a New Video. It's Not Good.

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  April 11, 2026 7:00 AM

It’s a circus. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) probably had the worst night of his career in public life after the San Francisco Chronicle reported a disturbing tale of sexual assault brought against him by a former staffer. This story initially spread among mainly left-wing activists on social media. It’s now gaining more attention, as this isn’t the only story of sexual misconduct. Four other women have come forward, accusing Swalwell of highly inappropriate behavior. The congressman took to social media to respond to the allegations, which he strongly denies. Also, these aren't anonymous allegations, Swalwell. Some of these women worked for you

MeToo is now about to face another test: how will they react to one of the most vocal anti-Trump voices on the hill being engulfed in this scandal? There are multiple women here, and some of Swalwell’s insufferable antics have now come back to haunt him.

Swalwell is running for governor, but the primary isn't next week, as he claims in his poorly made video. First, given the misconduct allegations, it’s probably unwise to mention what could be perceived as infidelities or lapses in judgment in that regard, whatever those might be, based on his admission of past mistakes shared only between him and his wife. Election Day is in June, sir.  

Rival candidate and former Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) has not only urged Swalwell to drop out of the gubernatorial race but also to step away from public life entirely. Tom Steyer, another candidate, also called on him to withdraw from the race. The party's top leaders, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have also joined that chorus. Swalwell’s endorsement pool has also evaporated. It’s technically the death of the campaign, though he’s vowing to stay on for now.