Manhattan DA investigating Eric Swalwell over allegations he sexually assaulted staffer after night of drinking

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Manhattan DA investigating Eric Swalwell over allegations he sexually assaulted staffer after night of drinking

Swalwell denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated, as pressure mounts on him to drop out of the race for California governor

Erin Keller In Ohio Saturday 11 April 2026 20:37 BST

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Close popoverEric Swalwell denies sexual assault allegations as he faces calls to quit California governor race

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Representative Eric Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, is being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office after a former aide accused him of engaging in sexual activity with her while she was unable to give consent.

“We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373. Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner," the DA said in a statement to The Independent.

The investigation follows a CNN report in which four women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate messages to alleged non-consensual encounters, prompting some fellow Democrats to withdraw their support.

Swalwell denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated.

The former aide said she began working in Swalwell’s Castro Valley office in 2019 at age 21. She accused him of engaging in sexually explicit communication over Snapchat, including sending photos of his genitals and requesting nude images from her. She also described multiple instances of alleged unwanted advances, including an attempted kiss and an encounter in a parked car where she said he exposed himself and requested oral sex.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is investigating Rep. Eric Swalwell, who is running for California governor, over sexual assault allegations made by four women (Getty Images)

One of the alleged assaults occurred after a night of drinking when she became blackout intoxicated and later woke up naked in a hotel room, feeling the effects of vaginal sex.

She stopped working for Swalwell in 2021 but also alleged a second incident in 2024, when she encountered him again at an awards event in New York. After meeting for drinks, she said she again became heavily intoxicated and remembers only fragments of the evening, alleging that he forced himself on her in a hotel room.

“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN. “He didn’t stop.”

Three additional women who spoke to CNN accused Swalwell of other forms of misconduct, including sending unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

Swalwell denied the accusation in a video posted to X Friday evening.

“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened and I will fight them with everything that I have,” he said.

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Eric SwalwellCaliforniaconsentsexual misconduct

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