Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California governor and seems likely to call it quits after bombshell claims he sexually assaulted multiple women.
The congressman — whose reputation has been in free fall after four women on Friday accused the congressman of sexual misconduct, including rape — admitted to “mistakes in judgement” in a social media post Sunday, but he remained defiant over the fresh allegations leveled at him.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he wrote.
Swalwell added: “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
One of the women, a former staffer, claimed Swalwell raped her when she was drunk and left her bruised and bleeding during an alleged 2024 attack in New York — sparking a probe from the Manhattan DA.
Another woman alleged she also awoke next to him in a hotel room after a drunken night out, adding he allegedly kissed her and touched her leg without consent.
Close political allies have turned their backs on him, including fellow congressmen that helped build his campaign and vouch for him. Labor unions and other organizations have withdrawn their endorsements.
Larry Gerston, professor emeritus of political science at San José State University, told The Post: “This isn’t a surprise.”
“The fact that at least four women have accused him of inappropriate activity — and that his office in D.C. has supported those people and so many people on his camping have dropped out — it really leaves Swalwell no other choice.”
He added, “The only question now is when he will literally drop out.”
Gerston predicted that progressive billionaire Tom Steyer and former congresswoman Katie Porter would likely pick up the most votes if Swalwell follows through in ending his campaign.
“Why? Because I think their politics are closer — they overlap with Swalwell’s more than any of the other candidates,” Gerston said.
“There’s also Xavier Becerra and Betty Yee, but they’re so far down the ladder [in the polls].”
Jason McDaniel, a political science professor at San Francisco State University, said that Swalwell’s suspension shows that Democrats took the allegations seriously.
“The practically unanimous calls by Democratic Party leaders for Swalwell to drop out show that they found the reported accusations to be very credible, and that the alleged behavior is unacceptable to Democratic Party officials and voters,” he said.
“This is a sign of party strength and is a stark contrast to the way that the Republican Party has often responded to similar accusations.”
Gavin Newsom released a statement to The Post on Sunday but failed to call for Swalwell to step down.
“As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously,” Newsom said.
The scandal has set up a brutal fight in Congress as Republicans and Democrats plot shootouts over Swalwell and other colleagues with murky pasts.
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said she would force a House floor vote this coming week to remove him.
Here’s the latest on the allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell
But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others are expected to counter with a move to expel Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who has been embroiled in a sexual scandal as well.
A staffer whom Gonzales allegedly had an affair with committed suicide.
Gonzales has admitted to the affair but insisted “I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing.” He dropped his reelection bid in response.
The tit-for-tat expulsions could also expand to another Democrat and another Republican in Congress. Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills has been linked to a report of an assault on a woman.
And Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted and is accused of embezzling $5 million of federal disaster money.
Both have denied wrongdoing.
More legal trouble could be on the way after the California Post reported on a complaint alleging he hired a Brazilian nanny under the table for a number of years.
That complaint was referred to the Department of Homeland Security for an investigation, Politico reported.
Even before the accusations, Swalwell has been dogged by a number of issues. He faced questions over his residency in California, where he claimed to rent out of a Livermore home. But the Post went and visited neighbors who said they couldn’t identify him.
Swalwell was also scrutinized for reports that he repeatedly pitched his AI startup, Findraiser, to fellow House Democrats and political operatives through texts, emails and in-person outreach.
His finances were under heavy duress, tax records seem to indicate. Swalwell dipped into his retirement savings and postponed his tax payments.
He has also constantly used campaign funds to reimburse for child care, including during this governor’s race, state records show.
The ultimate blow, however, were the sexual allegations. Rumors about them swirled for a week before the Friday reports, when influencers on social media claimed they would be coming up.
Even back then, Swalwell projected confidence that those claims were all just political attacks. He said at a April 7 town hall that the rumors were “false.”
“There has never been an allegation and there has never been a settlement,” said Swalwell.
Yet his claims that he didn’t use any non-disclosure agreement — a reasoning given for why the victims haven’t come forward until now — were contradicted by reports of a staffer who shared they did use such agreements.
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