'He Didn't Stop': Former Swalwell Staffer's Account of Sexual Misconduct Triggers Mass Exodus of Endorsers in California Governor Race

Sexual assault allegations against Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell have detonated his campaign for California governor, triggering an hours-long collapse that caused even his most powerful supporters to abandon him en masse.

On 10 April 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle published a bombshell account from an unnamed former staffer alleging that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice while she was intoxicated, once in 2019 during her tenure in his congressional district office, and again in April 2024, after she had left his employ.

Shortly after, CNN independently reported on the same former staffer and named three additional women who alleged separate instances of sexual misconduct by the congressman. Swalwell, 45, who had led in polls and won 24% of delegates at the California Democratic Party state convention in February, denied all of the allegations.

By Friday evening, the cascade of withdrawals from senators, House Democrats, major labour unions, and his own campaign chair had turned a frontrunner's campaign into a near-certain wreckage, with California's 2 June primary just weeks away.

What the Former Staffer Told Investigators and Reporters

The accuser, who remains anonymous at her own request, told the Chronicle she was 21 years old when she joined Swalwell's congressional district office in 2019, so she's 17 years younger than the married congressman. Based on her account, Swalwell began pursuing her within weeks of her hire, sending her photographs of his genitalia over Snapchat and requesting nude images in return.

In September 2019, she she joined a group outing with Swalwell in downtown Pleasanton. She became heavily intoxicated and has no recollection of events that followed; she told the Chronicle she woke up naked in Swalwell's hotel bed and could, in her words, 'feel the effect of vaginal intercourse.'

The second alleged assault occurred in April 2024, at a charity gala where Swalwell was being honoured. The woman told CNN she met Swalwell for drinks after the event and remembered only fragments of the night that followed. 'I was pushing him off of me, saying no,' she said. 'He didn't stop.' She described waking up bruised and bleeding. Three days after the alleged assault, she texted a friend: 'I was sexually assaulted on Thursday. By Eric.'

CNN also reviewed medical records confirming she sought STD and pregnancy testing in the days that followed, and interviewed two family members and a friend who confirmed she disclosed the alleged assault to them contemporaneously. The Chronicle separately reviewed text messages she sent to a friend three days after the 2024 incident, in which she wrote that she 'blacked out' but 'woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point.'

Her then-boyfriend confirmed to the Chronicle that she had told him about the 2019 encounter at the time. Swalwell, through his lawyer, subsequently sent her a message telling her 'not to tell anyone.' He later texted her: 'You said you didn't remember anything last time i hope you do now,' according to texts reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Three Additional Women and the Pre-emptive Legal Campaign Against Them

CNN's reporting went further than the Chronicle's original account. The network spoke with three other women who alleged separate forms of sexual misconduct by Swalwell. Democratic social media personality Ally Sammarco told CNN she connected with Swalwell on Twitter in August 2021 to discuss politics and that he subsequently sent her unsolicited photographs of his penis via Snapchat.

A fourth woman, whose account CNN separately corroborated through friends and family, described waking up in Swalwell's hotel room after a night of heavy drinking with no memory of how she had arrived there. A current member of Swalwell's congressional staff told CNN they quit immediately upon receiving the network's detailed list of questions about the allegations.

In the 24 hours before the Chronicle published, Swalwell's legal team launched a co-ordinated effort to suppress the women's accounts. NOTUS obtained copies of the cease-and-desist letters sent via text message by the Los Angeles firm Dabaie Kelley, dated 9 April, demanding recipients 'immediately and permanently' cease discussing the accusations in any oral, written, or electronic form.

A second letter cited the timing of the allegations, with mail-in voting beginning 4 May, as evidence of 'actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth' under California defamation law. Swalwell's attorney Elias Dabaie confirmed the letters to NOTUS, stating the allegations were 'baseless' and suggesting they were 'a coordinated effort to undermine his candidacy.'

Cheyenne Hunt, a lawyer and executive director of the left-wing advocacy group Gen-Z for Change who had been amplifying the women's accounts on social media, said the letters represented Swalwell 'tak[ing] a page out of the Trump playbook by attempting to silence women.' Swalwell's campaign, for its part, had issued a pre-emptive denial on Wednesday, with spokesman Micah Beasley calling the allegations 'false, outrageous rumour' spread by 'flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists.'

The Political Implosion: Endorsements Revoked, Staff Resigned, Rivals Circling

The collapse of institutional support was swift and nearly total. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who had served as co-chair of Swalwell's campaign, resigned his role within hours of the Chronicle's publication and called on Swalwell to withdraw. 'I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately,' Gomez wrote. 'The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay.'

Sen. Adam Schiff, one of California's most prominent elected Democrats, withdrew his endorsement immediately and called on Swalwell to exit the race. 'This woman was brave to come forward, and we should take her story seriously,' Schiff said. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who days earlier had publicly defended Swalwell against social media rumours, withdrew as well, writing: 'What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed.' Gallego added that he regretted 'having come to his defence on social media prior to knowing all the information.'

The California Teachers Association, representing more than 300,000 members, voted to rescind its endorsement the same day, with President David Goldberg calling the allegations 'incredibly disturbing and unacceptable.' The Service Employees International Union California suspended at least one ad buy in support of Swalwell, and the California Federation of Labor Unions said it was 'acting urgently' on next steps. Senior campaign adviser Courtni Pugh, who had been central to Swalwell's labour outreach, resigned before the Chronicle story even published. House Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, issued a joint statement calling for a 'swift investigation' and demanding Swalwell 'immediately end his campaign.'

With 300,000-member unions cutting ties, Senate allies reversing course, and his own campaign chairman resigning, the question no longer leans on whether Swalwell's gubernatorial bid is damaged, but whether it can survive the week.