'The Only Person Who Could Ruin Eric Swalwell Is Eric Swalwell,' Rape Accuser Tells CNN as Three Others Come Forward

A former staffer of US Representative Eric Swalwell has alleged the California gubernatorial candidate raped her — twice — while she was heavily intoxicated. The allegations, published in an exclusive CNN investigation on 10 April 2026, are backed by medical records, text message screenshots, and separate interviews with her mother, partner, and two friends. Three other women have since come forward with their own accounts of misconduct by the Democratic congressman, who has denied everything.

The former staffer first began working for Swalwell as a 20-year-old intern in 2019, at a time when he was making a name for himself on the House Intelligence Committee and launching an underdog presidential bid. She told CNN the attention he showed her early on felt intoxicating. 'When he talked to you, it was like the sun was shining on you,' she said. 'You felt like the coolest person in the room.' What followed, she said, was years of abuse she told nobody about.

A Secret She Carried for Years

The first alleged assault happened in September 2019 after a night of drinking with Swalwell. She said she woke up naked in his hotel room the next morning with no memory of what had occurred, but that she could physically feel that sexual contact had taken place.

The second alleged assault involves an April 2024 encounter in New York City, where both had attended a gala. She told CNN she invited Swalwell for a drink afterwards — a decision she later said she bitterly regretted. As the night went on and she grew heavily intoxicated, she alleges Swalwell had sex with her without her consent. 'I was pushing him off of me, saying no,' she told CNN. 'He didn't stop.' Federal campaign spending records reviewed by CNN show purchases at the locations she named that evening. A colleague present earlier that night confirmed to CNN she had mentioned she was going to meet Swalwell.

She went to a health clinic in the days that followed, and CNN reviewed screenshots of the appointment where a provider referred to her in writing as 'a survivor.' She told her partner, mother, and two friends what had happened — all of whom confirmed their accounts separately to CNN. Despite everything, she said she never came forward because she believed she was alone. 'I've always lived with a huge secret,' she said. 'I'm not speaking up because I'm looking to ruin Eric Swalwell. The only person who could ruin Eric Swalwell is Eric Swalwell.'

Three More Women

A second woman told CNN that in spring 2025, after striking up an online exchange with Swalwell over Democratic politics, she ended up in his hotel room with no memory of how she got there. An Uber receipt she provided to CNN shows she left at 5:41am. The next day, she said Swalwell sent her disappearing voice messages urging her to keep quiet from his wife. When she later confronted him over what had happened, telling him 'all you did was harm me,' he replied: 'I won't bother you again! Sorry.' Her mother and two friends confirmed to CNN that she had told them about the incident.

Two more women — including social media creator Ally Sammarco — told CNN that Swalwell sent them unsolicited explicit images and sexual messages through Snapchat after initially connecting on Twitter over politics. Sammarco said the messages escalated quickly, with Swalwell sending selfies of himself in bed or shirtless alongside unsolicited photos of his penis. CNN reviewed screenshots of flirtatious exchanges between the two. A fourth woman, who works in marketing, described a near-identical experience that played out on and off for four years.

Swalwell Hits Back, Lawyers Up

Swalwell rejected every allegation in a statement issued to CNN. 'These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,' he said. 'For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman — and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action.'

His legal team sent cease-and-desist letters to two of the women the day after CNN first approached his campaign for comment, calling their accounts 'false' and warning of legal consequences if they continued speaking out. The letters pointed to the women's ongoing contact with Swalwell after the alleged incidents as reason to doubt their claims. One of Swalwell's own staff members quit immediately after CNN sent its list of detailed questions to his office, according to the investigation.

Swalwell has denied all allegations and said he will pursue legal action where necessary. No law enforcement investigation has been publicly announced. California's gubernatorial primary is scheduled for June 2026. CNN's full investigation detailing all four accounts is available at the link above.