{"id":272404,"date":"2026-04-17T10:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/272404\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:15:09","slug":"powerful-california-institutions-backed-swalwells-rise-now-theyre-facing-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/272404\/","title":{"rendered":"Powerful California institutions backed Swalwell’s rise. Now they’re facing questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SACRAMENTO\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Before it all came crashing down, Eric Swalwell appeared on the cusp of rising to the top of the Democratic field in the California governor\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

Swalwell had just announced a statewide tour and aired his first ad. The former prosecutor and Dublin city councilman launched his campaign on \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d in November, a comfortable setting for a politician who\u2019d built a national reputation by appearing on cable news shows to attack President Trump. <\/p>\n

Influential forces in Sacramento had begun coalescing behind the then-Bay Area congressman, including some consultants and advisors close to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom hasn\u2019t endorsed, but his associates\u2019 involvement lent credibility to Swalwell. <\/p>\n

Swalwell\u2019s campaign quickly collapsed with the explosive allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and had acted inappropriately with other women who were just beginning political careers. Swalwell denies the allegations but dropped out of the race for governor and resigned his seat in the House. <\/p>\n

The whiplash over Swalwell\u2019s rapid rise and fall has Democratic leaders facing questions about whether they had a blind spot about his alleged behavior.<\/p>\n

His onetime allies in Congress are being asked whether they knew about his conduct, which has been described as an open secret on Capitol Hill<\/a>. Unions who backed Swalwell have fled, and political consultants are returning donations.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, speaks to Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers at the Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center in San Diego on Jan. 26. <\/p>\n

(K.C. Alfred \/ San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez, whose group endorsed Swalwell and three others in the race, said she confronted Swalwell more than a month ago after hearing rumors about womanizing and illicit photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a liar,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cHe\u2019s just a very skillful politician who did not tell the truth even when asked directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he was little known in much of California, Swalwell, 45, was a youthful and fresh face in a field of candidates, many of them veteran politicians, when he entered the contest.<\/p>\n

A little more than a week ago, his campaign was on an upward trajectory. His first statewide ad emphasized his hometown roots and concerns faced by Californians, including rising costs at his favorite doughnut shop in his hometown of Dublin. He rolled out new endorsements from state and federal elected officials almost daily.<\/p>\n

Former and current advisors close to Newsom were also helping Swalwell\u2019s campaign, multiple sources told The Times. Others associated with the governor are also helping rival candidates. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a liar. He\u2019s just a very skillful politician who did not tell the truth, even when asked directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez<\/p>\n

Other Democrats in the race said the warnings about Swalwell should have been investigated more thoroughly by the powerful California politicians and interest groups that backed him.<\/p>\n

Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, called him a \u201cflash in the pan\u201d \u2014 someone who lacked substance. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople thought just because he was popular on TV that maybe he had been vetted,\u201d Villaraigosa said. \u201cHe had not been vetted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Gubernatorial candidates Katie Porter and Antonio Villaraigosa share a moment while participating in a candidate forum in Los Angeles on Jan. 10.<\/p>\n

(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Swalwell\u2019s entrance into the race last fall came at a time when elected officials and leaders of powerful interest groups in Sacramento were unimpressed by the field, particularly after big-name Democrats including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta had passed on running.<\/p>\n

Steven Maviglio, a Sacramento-based Democratic consultant, said there was pressure to find the \u201cperfect candidate\u201d for the state\u2019s most powerful office.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemocrats are looking for a fighter against Trump, and he fit the bill,\u201d Maviglio said. \u201cThat was enough for most people.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with most members of California\u2019s congressional delegation, Swalwell was an unfamiliar figure to many Californians living outside his Alameda County district, even though he had a lighthearted, robust presence on social media.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d never held statewide office when he was elected to Congress after a career that included serving on the Dublin City Council and working as a criminal prosecutor for Alameda County.<\/p>\n

But he appeared to be close to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who selected him to be an impeachment manager for the case against President Trump in 2021.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addresses the crowd at the California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

(Christina House\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

At a forum in Washington this week, Rep. Pelosi rejected suggestions that Democrats looked past the accusations. <\/p>\n

\u201cNone whatsoever,\u201d she said, when asked what allegations she\u2019d heard about.<\/p>\n

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who previously worked alongside Swalwell on the House Judiciary Committee and endorsed him, said on MS NOW that he felt betrayed and \u201csickened\u201d by the allegations. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy paramount feeling is that I\u2019m grateful these women came forward,\u201d Schiff said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful that they did so when they did \u2014 it prevented our state from making a potentially terrible mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sara Azari, an attorney for Swalwell, said in a statement that he denies all of the allegations of sexual misconduct and assault and will pursue \u201cevery legal remedy\u201d against those making the claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese accusations are false, fabricated and deeply offensive \u2014 a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,\u201d Azari said.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Attorney Lisa Bloom reaches toward a photo at a news conference where Lonna Drewes, left, is seen with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, at a news briefing in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Drewes detailed a 2018 encounter in which she claimed Swalwell drugged and sexually assaulted her after offering professional mentorship.<\/p>\n

(Myung J Chun\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Lonna Drewes accused Swalwell <\/a>of drugging and raping her in 2018 while she worked as a model, an allegation now being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff\u2019s Department.<\/p>\n

Azari, in an interview on NewsNation, said of Drewes\u2019 allegation: \u201cTwo adults consenting, which is our position is, is not against the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks declined to answer questions this week about whether the scandal hurts the party\u2019s credibility, saying only that the allegations are \u201cclear for voters: [Swalwell] is not a suitable choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an interview with The Times, Hicks said the party relies on delegates to vet candidates before endorsement votes at the party convention. While no gubernatorial candidate reached the necessary level of support to earn the endorsement at the February gathering, Swalwell had the largest share<\/a> with 24%.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez, of the labor federation, said she called Swalwell in the first week of March after being contacted by several people about his sexually inappropriate behavior. <\/p>\n

She described the awkward conversation \u2014 and his immediate denials. None of it was true, he said. If there was anything sordid to find in his past, it would have been dug up by Trump and conservatives who went after him when he was helping to try and impeach the president, he said.<\/p>\n

At the union group\u2019s endorsement meeting, members grilled Swalwell about several issues, including his claimed residency in Livermore, his involvement with a nonunion film production<\/a>, and his ability to manage his own finances.<\/p>\n

The issue of inappropriate sexual behavior never came up at the endorsement, Gonzalez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in a position, like so many, of trying to figure out who this guy was with all these red flags, but being told by a lot of surrogates that they were his choice \u2014 whether it\u2019s people in Congress or folks who knew him from home,\u201d Gonzalez said.<\/p>\n

Other institutional players also threw in their support. The California Medical Assn. endorsed Swalwell early in February. The group represents more than 50,000 physicians in the state and spends heavily in elections. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely was a nod that that\u2019s where the establishment should head,\u201d Maviglio said. <\/p>\n

California Medical Assn. spokesperson Erin Mellon said the group met with candidates and backed Swalwell \u201cbased on the information available to us\u201d at the time. <\/p>\n

Behind the scenes, Swalwell was courting attention. He began hanging out at the Grange, a favorite hotel bar in Sacramento for state lawmakers and lobbyists, trying to make connections, according to a source who ran into him there.<\/p>\n

Months earlier, he sent a text to a California political consultant with questions about who should help his campaign. He asked about the well-known firm of Bearstar Strategies, according to the text exchange, which was viewed by The Times.<\/p>\n

Swalwell texted, \u201cwould you recommend having our IE go to them?\u201d to the consultant, a reference to an \u201cindependent expenditure,\u201d which is an outside committee that raises money in support of candidates but is barred from coordinating with their campaigns. <\/p>\n

Bearstar Strategies ultimately launched an independent committee to support Swalwell, which in recent weeks raised more than $7 million from political action committees for the California Medical Assn., DaVita and other medical industry groups, as well as Uber.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Antonio Villaraigosa, left, shakes hands with Tom Steyer during a gubernatorial candidate forum in Sacramento on April 14, 2026.<\/p>\n

(Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Bearstar Strategies, whose members have long advised Newsom, also provides media consultants for a committee running attack advertisements against environmentalist Tom Steyer, another candidate in the race. Swalwell would have benefited from the committee\u2019s spending. <\/p>\n

Jim DeBoo, a consultant and Newsom\u2019s former chief of staff, is helping on the anti-Steyer committee, according to multiple sources, which has raised $14 million from real estate agents\u2019 and utility industry groups. DeBoo didn\u2019t respond to a request for comment, and a representative for Bearstar declined a request for an interview.<\/p>\n

No one has claimed that any of those consultants or individuals knew about Swalwell\u2019s alleged behavior. Bearstar Strategies said in a statement last week that it had suspended all activity on Swalwell\u2019s independent expenditure.<\/p>\n

Jamie Court, president of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, said institutional groups backed Swalwell because they thought he could win and they wanted to maintain the status quo in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey picked the wrong guy,\u201d Court said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SACRAMENTO\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Before it all came crashing down, Eric Swalwell appeared on the cusp of rising to the top of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[118128,7,9,8,3705,13540,37270,118127,5745,118129,3290,3020,1423,2211,121,225,38105,430],"class_list":{"0":"post-272404","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-bearstar-strategies","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-california-headlines","11":"tag-california-news","12":"tag-campaign","13":"tag-candidate","14":"tag-consultant","15":"tag-explosive-allegation","16":"tag-gonzalez","17":"tag-most-member","18":"tag-newsom","19":"tag-president-trump","20":"tag-question","21":"tag-race","22":"tag-sacramento","23":"tag-state","24":"tag-swalwell","25":"tag-week"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}