Swalwell Suspends California Governor Bid Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims

Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday night after multiple women accused the Democratic congressman of sexual assault and misconduct, including a former staffer who says he raped her while she was intoxicated and unable to consent.

In a statement posted to social media, the 45-year-old lawmaker expressed regret for unspecified “mistakes in judgment” from his past but forcefully denied the allegations, calling them “serious” and “false.” He said he would fight them personally rather than through a political campaign. “To my family, staff, friends and supporters, I am deeply sorry,” Swalwell wrote, adding that the accusations appeared timed to derail his bid to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The announcement caps a rapid political collapse that began Friday when the San Francisco Chronicle published a detailed account from a woman who worked for Swalwell. She alleged that in 2024 he sexually assaulted her on two occasions when she was too drunk to consent. During one encounter she said she tried to resist and was left bruised and bleeding. CNN simultaneously reported that three other women accused Swalwell of sending unsolicited explicit messages or nude photographs.

Swalwell has sent cease-and-desist letters to all four accusers and maintains the claims are politically motivated. Yet the fallout has been swift and bipartisan. By Sunday almost every major endorsement he had secured for the governor’s race had been withdrawn. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed it opened a criminal investigation into the allegations, according to The Washington Post.

Pressure is now mounting for Swalwell to resign his House seat as well. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, responded to his suspension announcement by writing on X that it was a “good first step” but demanded he leave Congress or face expulsion. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she intends to file a motion this week to begin the expulsion process when the House returns to session Tuesday. Expulsion requires a two-thirds majority and remains rare, though Congress did remove Rep. George Santos, a New York Republican, in 2023 on unrelated charges of fraud and theft.

Democrats have been largely silent or noncommittal in public statements, though several colleagues had already privately urged Swalwell to step down from the House. The absence of a robust defense from his own party underscores the gravity of the accusations at a moment when Democrats continue to position themselves as defenders of women’s rights and opponents of unchecked power.

The scandal also deepened on Sunday when Stephen Cloobeck, the billionaire timeshare magnate and longtime Swalwell supporter, publicly cut ties and revealed he had evicted the congressman from a Beverly Hills mansion where Swalwell had been staying. Cloobeck told the New York Post he was withdrawing all support and declared himself a libertarian, saying “F— you, Democrat Party.”

In a separate development that further complicates Swalwell’s position, the Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into allegations that he illegally employed a Brazilian nanny. According to the New York Post, the nanny, Amanda Barbosa, continued working for Swalwell’s family after her work authorization expired in 2022. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services referred the matter to DHS law enforcement after receiving a complaint documenting Barbosa’s continued presence in family photos through 2024. A DHS spokesperson emphasized that “no employer, including a member of Congress, is above the law.”

The convergence of a potential criminal probe in Manhattan, an immigration investigation by federal authorities, and an imminent expulsion effort in the House leaves Swalwell politically isolated. Once viewed as a rising star in the Democratic caucus and a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, the California representative now confronts the possibility that his congressional career could end in disgrace.

The allegations arrive at a time when public tolerance for sexual misconduct by elected officials has diminished across party lines. The former staffer’s account in particular raises serious questions about consent, power imbalances in congressional offices, and the responsibility of members of Congress to maintain safe workplaces. Swalwell’s insistence that the claims are fabricated must now be tested not only in the court of public opinion but in actual courts and potentially in the House Ethics Committee.

For a party that has spent years demanding accountability from Republicans accused of similar behavior, the Swalwell case presents an immediate test of consistency. Progressives have long argued that holding powerful men accountable regardless of political affiliation is essential to restoring trust in institutions. The coming days will reveal whether House Democrats are prepared to apply that principle when the accused is one of their own.

Swalwell has not indicated whether he will seek reelection to his House seat in 2026. For now, his focus has shifted from campaigning to defending himself against accusations that, if substantiated, could end his career in elected office. The women who came forward have described behavior that goes beyond mere “mistakes in judgment.” Their claims deserve a thorough, impartial investigation free from partisan calculations. Anything less would betray the very standards Democrats claim to uphold.