Rep. Swalwell Suspends Governor Campaign Amid Assault Claims

Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California suspended his campaign for governor on Sunday, days after a former staffer accused him of sexual assault in two separate incidents. The allegations, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, prompted widespread condemnation from fellow Democrats and calls for Swalwell to resign his House seat.

The unidentified woman alleged that Swalwell assaulted her in 2019 while she worked for him and again in 2024 at a charity gala in New York. In both cases, she stated she was too intoxicated to consent and did not report the incidents to police at the time, fearing she would not be believed. Swalwell, who represents California's 14th Congressional District, has vehemently denied the claims, calling them "absolutely false" in a social media video Friday. "They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have," he said. In announcing the suspension on social media Sunday, Swalwell expressed regret for past mistakes in judgment but maintained the allegations were untrue, adding that the fight against them would occur outside the campaign.

The accusations emerged as Swalwell positioned himself...