The Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed on Saturday that it is investigating allegations of sexual assault involving U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and one of the better-known candidates in the state's crowded gubernatorial primary.
According to reporting cited by major outlets, a woman who previously served on Swalwell's district staff has accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters. The woman said one incident occurred in 2019 while she was employed in his office and another took place in 2024 after she had left his staff. She told CNN that the 2024 encounter occurred in a New York City hotel and that he raped her during that incident.
Swalwell has publicly denied the accusations, calling them "absolutely false" and saying he will fight them. Despite his denial, the reports have prompted several prominent Democrats to urge him to withdraw from the gubernatorial race.
The woman, who has not been named in the reports, was quoted as saying she had been too intoxicated on both occasions to give consent. CNN also reported that three additional women have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct.
The Manhattan district attorney's office asked anyone with information related to the allegations to contact its special victims division as it pursues the matter.
The allegations have also drawn responses from members of Congress. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, posted on X that she intends to file a motion to expel Swalwell from the U.S. House of Representatives. Appearing on Fox News, Luna said on Saturday that it would be unacceptable for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor while remaining in Congress, and she indicated she would file the disciplinary motion next week.
In his statement denying the accusations, Swalwell noted the timing of the allegations as coming ahead of the June primary in California's governor's race. Within the large and multi-party field of candidates, Swalwell has been widely regarded as one of the likely contenders to advance to the top-two runoff. Under California's nonpartisan primary system, the top two vote-getters in June will move on to the November general election, even if both are from the same political party.
Reporting limitations: Public reports cited in this article identify sources and allegations as described above; the accused and accusers have provided the statements noted. The Manhattan district attorney's office has requested public assistance and further inquiry is ongoing.