On Friday, a former staffer to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) came forward with allegations of sexual assault against the longtime congressman. By the end of the day, the dam had broken wide open — and Eric Swalwell’s political future was crumbling right along with it.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a former congressional aide accused Swalwell of two non-consensual sexual encounters, including one where she claims she woke up in his hotel room after becoming intoxicated. CNN then dropped its own bombshell, reporting that four women total allege sexual misconduct by Swalwell — one of whom accuses him outright of rape. “I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman said.
Swalwell has denied the allegations, but that has done absolutely nothing to stop the bleeding.
And the bleeding has been catastrophic.
First, his campaign experienced an exodus. His campaign co-chairs bailed immediately. Rep. Jimmy Gomez called the accusations “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” and resigned on the spot. Rep. Adam Gray was equally blunt: “Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct while in office are deeply disturbing. Harassment, abuse, and violence of any sort are unacceptable. Given these serious allegations, I am withdrawing my support, and Eric Swalwell should end his campaign immediately.”
Top Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) also pulled his endorsement. Then came a wave of others. Even the institutional pillars cracked. The California Teachers Association suspended its endorsement. So did SEIU California. Sen. Adam Schiff called on Swalwell to exit the race.
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But the real problem for Swalwell isn’t the loss of staff or endorsements; it’s that his fellow Democrats are also calling on him to drop out of the race.
Now, obviously, his Democrat opponents, former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, have called on him to drop out, but so has Nancy Pelosi.
And that’s a political death sentence.
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
And she wasn’t alone.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar piled on in a joint statement, calling for a “swift investigation,” and demanding an end to Swalwell’s campaign. “This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” they said.
“No one in a position of power should be allowed to act above the law or with impunity,” Rep. Ro Khanna said. “The same rules must apply to Eric Swalwell.”
Over on the Republican side, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said she was weighing censure and other action “if there is evidence brought forward,” and three sources told reporters that House Republicans were already discussing just that by Friday evening.
The response of Democrats to the allegations is quite unusual. They’re not issuing statements saying Swalwell is innocent until proven guilty; they’re telling him to bail. That raises some interesting questions on its own. Do they believe the allegations?
I’ve long believed Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign was never really about Sacramento. It was a launching pad for a presidential run. That ambition is finished now. Democrats are abandoning him, which means his political future is over. And frankly, his career might be finished, too.
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