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California Representative Eric Swalwell has decided to pause his gubernatorial campaign following accusations of sexual misconduct made by four women.
In a social media announcement, Swalwell stated, “I am halting my bid for Governor. I sincerely apologize to my family, team, friends, and supporters for past errors in judgment. While I will vigorously contest these grave yet untrue allegations, this is a personal battle, not one for the campaign.”
This development is just one facet of Swalwell’s escalating challenges. Increasingly, Democratic peers are urging him to step down from his congressional role as the legislative session resumes on Monday.
Simultaneously, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office revealed on Saturday that it is launching a criminal inquiry into claims made by a former staff member of Swalwell.
The accusations, initially reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN, allege that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman on two occasions, one of which occurred while she was employed by him.
As the number of Democrats calling for his withdrawal from both the gubernatorial race and Congress grows, Swalwell’s statement notably omits any intention to resign from his congressional seat. These allegations surfaced as Swalwell was emerging as a prominent candidate to succeed outgoing Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in California’s gubernatorial race.
Though Swalwell has denied the allegations, he has seemingly referenced infidelity in multiple statements.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he wrote. That followed a video post on Friday where he apologized to his wife.
RELATED: ‘I will fight them’: Swalwell denies sex assault allegations, won’t drop out of CA governor’s race
Over the weekend, with Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign already teetering, Democrats in Congress began to call for his resignation from the House. Some even said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside.
Fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.
“This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday. “This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.”
Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment
It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who has already seen his most prominent supporters, including Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions, pull their endorsements and call for his exit from the race. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who helped run Swalwell’s campaign, said he was immediately ending his role.
With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process.
Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.
Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernández said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who is running his own campaign for governor, said both Swalwell and Gonzales “need to go home” and that he would vote to expel them both.
Khanna also indicated support for congressional action against both lawmakers.
“So, it depends on if it’s worded in a fair way,” Khanna said. “But this shouldn’t be about politics. Anyone who abuses young girls and staffers should not be in the United States Congress.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday about allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman in 2019 and 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed.
The woman worked for Swalwell when the first alleged assault occurred in 2019, while the 2024 assault allegedly occurred at a charity gala, the Chronicle reported. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.
The paper didn’t name the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.
The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it was investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.
After the allegations surfaced, Swalwell said Friday in a video on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update “very soon.” He is not running for reelection for his House seat.
“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,” the congressman said.
Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who remains a dominant force in California politics, said the “serious allegations” must be investigated. She said she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done “outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and his leadership team also called for an investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor.
Jayapal and Donalds appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Khanna was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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