Swalwell Resigns From Congress as Sexual Assault Allegations Multiply

FBI Director Kash Patel has formally invited former Congressman Eric Swalwell to sit down with federal investigators following a cascade of sexual assault and rape allegations that forced the California Democrat to resign his seat and abandon his bid for governor. The move comes as one of Swalwell's closest allies in Congress admitted he had heard disturbing rumors for years but chose to look the other way until the scandal exploded this week. Prediction market Polymarket has already launched betting odds on whether Swalwell will face arrest by the end of May.

Patel posted the invitation on X shortly after Swalwell announced his resignation Tuesday. "Eric Swalwell has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true and now that he's resigned we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has," Patel wrote. He added that the bureau remains open to anyone with relevant details. The tone from the Trump administration's FBI stands in sharp contrast to the years of institutional silence that protected Swalwell while he climbed the Democratic ladder.

The collapse has been swift. Just days ago Swalwell led the fragmented Democratic field for California's gubernatorial race. That ended when the San Francisco Chronicle published allegations from a former aide who claimed Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions. CNN quickly followed with accounts from three additional women describing similar misconduct. Then on Tuesday former model and fashion software executive Lonna Drewes held a news conference accusing Swalwell of drugging and raping her in a West Hollywood hotel in 2018. Drewes said he also choked her. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed it has opened an investigation and will present findings to prosecutors.

Swalwell has denied the claims calling them false and politically motivated. In a statement he expressed regret for unspecified "mistakes in judgment" while promising to fight the accusations. His attorney Sara Azari described the allegations as a "calculated and transparent political hit job" timed to destroy his reputation. Yet the volume of accusers and the decision by law enforcement to investigate suggest this goes beyond mere partisan mudslinging.

Perhaps most damaging was the public statement from Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego the man once described as Swalwell's best friend on Capitol Hill. Gallego told reporters he had heard years ago that Swalwell was "flirty" with women but never confronted him. Only after the allegations surfaced did Gallego admit the truth hit him hard. "I fell for it," he said appearing emotional and at times near tears. Gallego described Swalwell as someone who "became very good at being a predator" and "extremely proficient at lying to us lying to his family lying to his community."

The senator said he spent enough time around Swalwell's wife and children that he dismissed the rumors as unfair. Now he regrets that choice. "I should have talked to him about it," Gallego conceded. He expressed anger that victims must still seek justice while Swalwell's family and former staff deal with the fallout. The admission raises obvious questions about what else Democratic insiders knew and when they knew it. Capitol Hill runs on rumors and gossip. If a United States senator heard whispers about predatory behavior why did it take multiple women coming forward before anyone acted?

The timing of the story's emergence has raised eyebrows even among those who take the allegations seriously. California Democrats faced a nightmare scenario in the state's jungle primary where the top two finishers advance regardless of party. Polls showed a real possibility that two Republicans could claim those spots leaving Democrats shut out of the general election. Swalwell's sudden implosion cleared the field at the precise moment party leaders needed breathing room. Outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN that had previously given Swalwell friendly platforms including primetime town halls during his 2020 presidential bid suddenly discovered these stories. Conservative critics have called it less a coincidence than a convenient application of investigative resources.

This episode fits a larger pattern. Democrats spent years shielding their own from scrutiny while lecturing the public about respecting women. Swalwell himself survived earlier controversies including his reported ties to a suspected Chinese spy only to see his career ended by allegations that insiders now admit were circulating for some time. The fact that Polymarket users are already betting on his potential arrest reflects widespread public cynicism that accountability will finally arrive.

Patel's invitation marks a departure from the previous FBI's apparent reluctance to examine powerful Democrats with the same vigor applied elsewhere. Whether Swalwell accepts that invitation remains to be seen. For now the former rising star of the California Democratic Party finds himself out of Congress under active investigation and abandoned by the very colleagues who once embraced him. The women who have come forward deserve their day in front of impartial investigators. After years of rumors and whispers that day may finally be approaching.