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Rep. Eric Swalwell has ended his bid for governor of California after serious accusations of sexual assault were made against him on Friday.
In a post on X Swalwell said, ““I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made—but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
He went on to apologize for “mistakes” he had made.
“To my family,staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.”
The allegations were made on Friday in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her twice while she was drunk, on separate occasions.
The first incident is said to have occurred in 2019, the second after a charity gala in 2024.
Swalwell responded to the allegations with a video on X.
“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false, they’re absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have. They also come on the eve of an election, where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California,” he said.
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I’m perfect or that I’m a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position. I also apologize to you if in any way you’ve doubted your support for me.”
A number of prominent Democrats, including Sens. Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego, have now withdrawn their support for Swalwell.
House Democratic leaders—House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar—issued a joint statement on Friday calling for an investigation into the allegations.
“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations 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,” they said.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has said she plans to file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress.
Yesterday, it was announced Swalwell is now under investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
This is not the first time Swalwell has been embroiled in sexual controversy. In December 2020, Axios reported that he had maintained a long-term relationship, possibly of a romantic nature, with a Chinese national who was suspected of having ties to Chinese intelligence.
Swalwell was apparently briefed by the FBI about the danger of the relationship.
Swalwell, who was never charged with any crime, has always maintained the story was “politically driven” and released to harm him.
Earlier this year, FBI Director Kash Patel indicated the Bureau might reinvestigate the relationship.
