A high-stakes political drama has unfolded in American politics this week, after the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed it has opened a formal investigation into multiple sexual misconduct allegations against U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for governor of California.
Four women have now come forward with accusations against the congressman, ranging from persistent sexual harassment to non-consensual sexual assault, with one of the alleged incidents occurring on Manhattan soil. Swalwell, who has represented a Northern California district covering areas near San Francisco since 2012 and launched a high-profile bid to replace outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom in this year’s election, has forcefully denied every claim. In public statements, he has pledged to clear his name using documented facts and has not ruled out pursuing legal action against his accusers.
In an official public statement released Saturday, the New York prosecutor’s office extended an invitation for survivors and any other individuals with information relevant to the allegations to reach out to its Special Victims Division. “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner,” the office said. Representatives for Swalwell did not issue an immediate response to repeated requests for comment from the BBC following the announcement of the investigation.
The first public allegation against Swalwell appeared Friday in the *San Francisco Chronicle*, from a woman who previously worked as a staff member in his Castro Valley district office. She told the outlet that shortly after she was hired, Swalwell began making unwanted inappropriate comments, repeatedly solicited her for sexual encounters and sent unsolicited sexual messages. The former staffer alleges she was assaulted by Swalwell on two separate occasions: the first in September 2019, after the pair went out for drinks, and the second in 2024 following a charity gala in New York City. Both times, she told the newspaper, she was too impaired by alcohol to give legal consent. The BBC has not been able to independently confirm the details of her account or verify her identity, but has reached out to her legal representation for comment.
Shortly after the first report, CNN published accounts from three additional women, bringing the total number of accusers to four, all raising claims of varying degrees of sexual misconduct against the congressman. The network also reported that Swalwell’s legal team has already sent cease-and-desist letters demanding retractions to two of the women making accusations.
In a public video message posted to Facebook Friday, Swalwell addressed the allegations directly to voters. He acknowledged he has made errors in judgment earlier in his life, framing those past mistakes as private matters between himself and his wife, to whom he issued a deep apology for the public scandal. “I do not suggest to you that I am perfect or a saint,” he said. “I’ve certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past. But those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologise deeply for putting her in this position.” He reiterated his denial of all the misconduct allegations, stating: “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.”
The timing of the allegations could not be more consequential for Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign. The investigation comes just weeks before California begins mailing out ballots to voters for the June 2 primary, in an open race to lead the nation’s most populous state. Before the allegations surfaced, two separate public opinion polls ranked Swalwell as one of the top two front-runners for the Democratic nomination in the crowded primary field. Within hours of the first reports of the accusations, Swalwell lost the public endorsement of several of his most prominent political backers, including U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose support had been a major boost to his campaign credibility.