Manhattan DA probing sex assault accusations against Rep. Eric Swalwell

Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been the leading Democratic candidate for California governor, is fighting for his political survival as he faces a new criminal investigation into allegations of sexual assault.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said on Saturday it is investigating an allegation of sexual assault against Swalwell, which one of his accusers said happened in New York City in in April 2024.

A spokesperson for the DA’s office told MS NOW that “survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations” are encouraged to contact the prosecutor’s Special Victims Division. “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”

Swalwell forcefully denied the allegations in a video he released on social media late Friday after congressional Democratic leaders called on him to drop out of the race and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., withdrew his endorsement of the California congressman’s candidacy for governor.

“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened,” Swalwell said in his video address. “And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

MS NOW spoke with the woman at the center of the allegations, a former Swalwell staff member, who confirmed that she made the sexual assault allegations first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN, which cited three other women alleging various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell.

The main accuser, who has not been publicly identified and worked for Swalwell for nearly two years, alleged she had sexual encounters while he was her boss. She said he sexually assaulted her on two occasions when she was too intoxicated to consent, the Chronicle reported. She told the paper Swalwell began pursuing her weeks after she was hired at age 21 to work in the Democrat’s district in 2019.

The Chronicle spoke with the woman’s friend and the woman’s ex-boyfriend, both of whom corroborated her story and described her as appearing disoriented. Medical records, according to the Chronicle, also show she sought pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease tests about a week after the incident.

The woman told the Chronicle she did not immediately tell authorities because she feared people wouldn’t believe she was telling the truth. And she told MS NOW she’s coming forward with her story now because she feels she has the support she lacked at the time. MS NOW has independently reviewed the text messages and medical records regarding Swalwell’s former staffer.

Swalwell, who has represented California’s 14th Congressional District since 2013 and launched his gubernatorial campaign earlier this year, strongly denied the claims in a statement Friday before his video denial. “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women,” he said.

Both the Chronicle and CNN viewed records and text messages from around the time of the alleged assaults, and spoke to family and friends who said they’d told her about the allegations at the time she says they’d happened.

“Some of the allegations I’ve seen, which is that we’ve had NDAs in the office — never. There’s never been an allegation, and there’s never been a settlement,” Swalwell told reporters Tuesday.

Political fallout

Swalwell’s campaign initially showed signs of strong momentum in the crowded California governor’s race to replace current Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has called the allegations “deeply troubling.”

“As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously,” Newsom’s spokesperson said in a statement to MS NOW.

Swalwell’s campaign also benefited from backing from key Democratic allies, positioning him as a viable contender in a fragmented field with no clear front-runner.

Multiple people resigned from Swalwell’s orbit ahead of Friday’s scathing report of sexual assault, including Courtni Pugh, who served as a strategic adviser. Swalwell’s fundraising page on ActBlue appears to no longer be accepting donations.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez , D-Calif., resigned as co-chair of Swalwell’s campaign, saying in part “he cannot in good conscience remain” in the role and suggesting that Swalwell “should leave the race now.” Rep. Adam Gray, D-Calif., also resigned as campaign co-chair and called for Swalwell to suspend the campaign.

Other prominent Democrats also quickly began distancing themselves.