Former staffer accuses Eric Swalwell of sexual assault

The gubernatorial campaign of Representative Eric Swalwell faced significant turmoil on Friday following sexual assault allegations made by a former staffer, leading to multiple resignations from his campaign team and calls for his withdrawal from the race by both allies and opposing candidates.

This internal upheaval, which commenced just before the San Francisco Chronicle published its report detailing the former staffer's claims, has profoundly impacted California's prominent election just weeks before ballots are distributed to voters. The former staffer informed the newspaper that she had sexual encounters with Swalwell while in his employment and alleged two instances of sexual assault when she was incapacitated by alcohol.

Key campaign personnel departed the campaign shortly before the story became public. Subsequently, Representative Jimmy Gomez issued a statement announcing his resignation from the campaign and urged Swalwell to exit the race. This represents a notable repudiation from a crucial supporter who had facilitated Swalwell's introductions to influential figures in Sacramento, where Gomez previously served in the state Assembly.

Gomez stated, "Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable. My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately."

The repercussions extended to significant interest groups that had previously endorsed Swalwell. The California Medical Association, which has contributed over $1 million to a pro-Swalwell committee, announced an emergency board meeting. The California Teachers Association suspended its endorsement.

David Goldberg, President of the California Teachers Association, commented in a statement, "The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell. We are immediately suspending our support."

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks refrained from explicitly demanding Swalwell's withdrawal but alluded to the possibility in a statement that described the allegations as "deeply disturbing." Hicks reiterated his prior calls for non-viable Democratic candidates to withdraw from the race, implicitly suggesting that Swalwell might no longer be a tenable option.

Hicks affirmed, "My call for all — repeat, all — candidates for Governor to ‘honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign’ still stands. In fact, that call is more important now than ever before."

A campaign spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on Friday regarding the staff departures. However, Swalwell released a statement broadly denying the accusations.

The statement read, "These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies."

Members of the campaign's senior leadership, including Courtni Pugh, a strategic adviser and Swalwell's primary liaison to organized labor groups, abruptly resigned. Pugh confirmed her resignation but declined further comment. Two other individuals, who requested anonymity to discuss internal campaign dynamics, confirmed at least four departures.

Several Democratic candidates for governor urged Swalwell to withdraw from the race. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond went further, suggesting Swalwell should resign from Congress.

For several weeks, Swalwell had shown signs of consolidating support within a fragmented Democratic field. However, the emergence of these damaging allegations threatened to destabilize an already unpredictable race.

Just weeks prior, Swalwell's campaign appeared to be gaining momentum, potentially positioning him to lead a crowded Democratic field. He secured significant endorsements from labor unions, and well-funded interests established a super PAC in his support.

Furthermore, the Trump administration's reported efforts to release documents from an investigation into Swalwell's connections with a suspected Chinese operative seemed to benefit the Democratic representative.

However, accusations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers subsequently emerged on social media. Swalwell emphatically disputed these allegations earlier in the week through a spokesperson who denounced them as a "false, outrageous rumor."

Swalwell told reporters on Wednesday, "Some of the allegations I’ve seen, which is that we’ve had NDA’s in the office — never. There’s never been an allegation, and there’s never been a settlement."

An attorney for Swalwell confirmed to POLITICO on Friday that a cease-and-desist letter had been sent to at least one individual accusing Swalwell of misconduct.

Attorney Elias Dabaie stated in an email, "We learned from press outlets that there are multiple allegations made against the Congressman. We believe those allegations are baseless and continue to seek the truth. We also want to understand why these allegations would suddenly arise on the eve on an election against the frontrunner in what appears to be a coordinated effort to undermine his candidacy."

The following day, Swalwell unexpectedly canceled a scheduled town hall with Representative Raul Ruiz, citing illness.

Anticipating a potentially race-altering event, several of Swalwell's rivals have criticized him in recent days, accusing him of hypocrisy given his past statements supporting the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault prior to his confirmation hearing.