In a brief video (opens in new tab) posted across his social media accounts on Friday night, embattled California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell said that the “allegations of sexual assault are flat false, they are absolutely false.”
The message came several hours after both the San Francisco Chronicle (opens in new tab) and CNN (opens in new tab) published accounts of one alleged instance of rape and other nonconsensual sexual activity involving at least four women.
“They did not happen, they have never happened,” Swalwell, a Democrat who represents a large portion of the East Bay, said. “And I will fight them with everything that I have.”
CNN also reported (opens in new tab) Saturday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has opened an investigation into the allegation as one of the reported incidents allegedly took place in a Manhattan hotel room in 2024.
“We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373,” emailed Danielle Filson, a spokesperson. “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
Other incidents may have occurred in the East Bay, according to the Chronicle’s reporting. Similarly, the Alameda County District Attorney’s office did not respond on Saturday morning to a request for comment from The Standard.
Shortly after Swalwell’s Friday video was published, his attorney, Elias Dabaie, appeared on CNN (opens in new tab) to say that “the congressman takes accountability for potential lapses in judgment but categorically denies any wrongdoing,” and added that “looking at the facts, I do have to question the credibility of these allegations.”
These reports have completely upended this year’s race for California governor. Until this week, Swalwell had been the top Democratic candidate, according to recent polling data (opens in new tab) from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.
California voters are set to go to the polls on June 2 in a primary election. Per state rules, whoever finishes in the top two positions, regardless of party affiliation, will go on to the general election in November.
According to that same poll, the two Republican candidates, Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, are ahead. But 16% of respondents also said they were undecided – the same percentage of those who said they would vote for Hilton and Bianco.
California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected in 2003 and re-elected in 2006.
In his video, Swalwell noted the timing of the claims against him.
“[The allegations] also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California,” he continued.
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgement in my past. But those mistakes are between me and my wife. To her I apologize deeply for putting her in this position. I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me.”
Swalwell concluded the video by saying that he would be spending the weekend with “family and friends,” and said he looked forward to updating the public “very soon.”
Many prominent Democrats and other local entities have already spoken out against him or withdrawn their support. On Swalwell’s own campaign website, the entire endorsements page has already been deleted (opens in new tab).
On Saturday, San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 also yanked its endorsement, saying that the new allegations against Swalwell “cannot be ignored.”
“We believe accountability and integrity are non-negotiable, and we will be reassessing the race moving forward,” President Sam Gebler wrote in a statement sent to The Standard.