For weeks, salacious talk swirled in campaign circles, ricocheted through email chains and was served up, like a buzzy side dish, over gossipy lunches from Sacramento to San Diego.<\/p>\n
The talk revolved around Eric Swalwell<\/a>, the 45-year-old congressman from the East Bay and one of the top Democratic contenders<\/a> for California governor. The rumors involved allegations of inappropriate behavior with young staffers.<\/p>\n Pressed by rival camps, pursued by the political press corps, the claims were largely confined to unvetted corners of the internet until this week, when Swalwell\u2019s campaign \u2014 knowing the whispers were getting louder \u2014 issued a public statement denying any wrongdoing<\/a>. <\/p>\n The move was a prebuttal. Strategists figured it better to get out front of the chatter and address the online innuendo, even if it meant exposing the allegations to a much wider audience. The campaign\u2019s statement was followed hours later by a categorical denial from the congressman.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s false,\u201d Swalwell told reporters Tuesday night in Sacramento. He said he never behaved inappropriately with female staff members or had a sexual relationship with any staffer or intern. There were no quiet legal settlements, he said. No hiding behind nondisclosure agreements.<\/p>\n Then, on Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle published a lengthy report<\/a> \u2014 filled with highly specific and graphic details \u2014 quoting a woman who worked nearly two years for Swalwell, stating she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss. Twice, she alleged, he sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent.<\/p>\n The woman, who is 17 years younger than Swalwell, said the congressman began pursuing her within weeks of her hiring at age 21 to work in his district office in the East Bay Area. That was in 2019.<\/p>\n The woman said she largely kept quiet about Swalwell\u2019s behavior out of fear she would suffer personal and professional consequences. She told the Chronicle she did not share her account with authorities because she was afraid they would not believe her. The newspaper said medical records show the woman obtained pregnancy and STD tests a week after one of the alleged assaults.<\/p>\n Swalwell issued another categorical denial.<\/p>\n \u201cThese allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,\u201d he said in a statement, somewhat overstating his status in the neck-and-neck gubernatorial race. \u201cFor nearly 20 years, I have served the public \u2014 as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. <\/p>\n \u201cI will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action,\u201d Swalwell said. \u201cMy focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.\u201d<\/p>\n Even before the Chronicle published its article, once the privately bandied rumors were suddenly out in the open, you could almost hear the sound of a dam bursting. Swalwell\u2019s competitors were quick to amplify the assertions, grappling for advantage in a race that remains stubbornly knotted up.<\/p>\n \u201cVery, very troubling,\u201d said fellow Democrat Katie Porter<\/a>. \u201cDeeply troubling,\u201d echoed Betty Yee<\/a>, another of the Democratic hopefuls.<\/p>\n