Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Sunday he is dropping his bid for governor of California days after a former aide accused him of sexually assaulting her.<\/p>\n
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“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell said on X.<\/a> “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I\u2019ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made \u2014 but that\u2019s my fight, not a campaign\u2019s.”<\/p>\n His statement follows a torrent of criticism from both sides of the aisle following a San Francisco Chronicle<\/a> article published Friday in which the former staffer alleged she had sexual encounters with the congressman while working in his office and that he sexually assaulted her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent. NBC News has not verified her allegations but confirmed her identity and that she worked for Swalwell from 2019 until 2021.<\/p>\n The Chronicle says it corroborated the former staffer\u2019s story by reviewing text messages she sent to a friend three days after one of the alleged encounters, with the woman saying in a text that she told Swalwell to stop. The paper also interviewed her boyfriend at the time, who confirmed she told him about the alleged assault. Additionally, the paper\u2019s reporters viewed medical records that showed she sought pregnancy and STD tests afterward.<\/p>\n Swalwell told the Chronicle in a statement that the woman\u2019s allegations were \u201cfalse.\u201d<\/p>\n CNN later reported<\/a> on sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell from four women, including one whose story matched details from the Chronicle article. One of the women, Democratic influencer Ally Sammarco, said Swalwell sent her unsolicited photos of his penis.<\/p>\n The news outlet said it corroborated the women\u2019s accounts through interviews with family members and friends, in addition to reviewing messages Swalwell exchanged with the women. NBC News has not independently corroborated their stories.<\/p>\n Swalwell later posted a video to social media<\/a> saying \u201cthese allegations of sexual assault are flat false.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey did not happen, they have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have,\u201d Swalwell said in the video.<\/p>\n Still, Swalwell faced immediate calls from fellow Democrats to drop out of the race, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray of California, the co-chairs of his campaign.<\/p>\n Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has been a close ally to Swalwell, said in a statement Friday that the allegations \u201cmust be respected and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,\u201d the former speaker said. \u201cAs I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats outside of California also urged Swalwell to drop his bid. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said he was retracting his endorsement of Swalwell, writing in a social media post<\/a> that he read the Chronicle\u2019s reporting and \u201ctakes it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifty-five former congressional and campaign staffers who worked for Swalwell on Sunday signed a public letter calling on him to drop his gubernatorial bid and resign from the House. They also urged law enforcement to open an investigation into the allegations from the former staffer who alleged he sexually assaulted her twice, saying, \u201cNo one is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe stand unequivocally with our colleague, who showed extraordinary courage in coming forward to share her truth. We believe her,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n On Saturday, the Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office confirmed to NBC News that they were launching an investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Swalwell.<\/p>\n The primary election for governor of California is June 2, with early voting set to begin May 4.<\/p>\n Swalwell has been near the top of every recent poll in the gubernatorial primary, often as the best-performing Democrat. But he and several other Democratic contenders, including billionaire Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter, have been locked in close competition.<\/p>\n All candidates run on the same primary ballot regardless of party in California, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election. Some Democrats have been concerned in recent weeks about the possibility of a split in the crowded field, allowing two Republicans to grab the general election slots. But President Donald Trump\u2019s recent endorsement of one prominent Republican, Steve Hilton, changed the calculus<\/a>.<\/p>\n Swalwell, who has served in Congress since 2013, has been a vocal critic of Trump\u2019s and served as one of the Democrats\u2019 nine impeachment prosecutors during the president\u2019s trial following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.<\/p>\n The congressman was the subject of a two-year investigation<\/a> looking into his ties to a 2014 campaign volunteer, Christina Fang, who later was suspected to be a Chinese spy. The House Ethics Committee took no action against Swalwell after that investigation and he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n Since Friday\u2019s allegations, the California congressman has also faced calls for his resignation or expulsion from the House. On Saturday, the Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office confirmed to NBC News that they were launching an investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Swalwell.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Rep Ro. Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox News, \u201cI believe that he should resign,\u201d adding that he\u2019s also calling for a law enforcement investigation and a House Ethics investigation into Swalwell.<\/p>\n Two other California Democratic lawmakers \u2014 Reps. Sam Liccardo and Jared Huffman also called for Swalwell to resign from the House on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen enough. With his nuanced statement aimed at defending likely criminal charges, Swalwell all but admits a per se abuse of power under House ethics rules: sex with a subordinate. He must now drop out of the Governor\u2019s race and resign from Congress. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who admitted to the same violation, should also resign. If they don\u2019t, I will support voting to expel both of them,\u201d Huffman said in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, has been accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages<\/a> with two former staffers, including one who committed suicide. On a podcast in March, Gonzales admitted that he\u2019d had an affair with a staffer<\/a>, saying, \u201cI made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment. And there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions. He added that he\u2019d \u201creconciled\u201d with his wife.<\/p>\n \u201cSwalwell must halt his campaign, resign from office, and face the consequences of a full investigation. Democrats must not equivocate in the face of uncomfortable allegations about one of our own,\u201d Liccardo wrote in a separate X post.<\/a><\/p>\n