By Joseph Lord
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) suspended his bid for California governor on Sunday after reports emerged accusing the Democrat of sexual assault.
“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made—but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X on Sunday evening.
In the post, Swalwell also apologized for unnamed “mistakes” he had made.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.”
Swalwell has consistently denied the allegations, which were first reported on April 10 by the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman told the Chronicle, which didn’t name her, that Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions, including while she was employed by him, while she was heavily intoxicated. The Epoch Times has not verified the allegations against Swalwell in the report.
The congressman subsequently faced pressure from fellow Democrats to withdraw from the California gubernatorial race. On April 10, House Democratic leaders—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.)—issued a joint statement calling for an investigation into the allegations.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told NBC News on April 12 that she would vote to expel Swalwell from Congress. Separately, more than 50 of his former staffers signed a letter calling on Swalwell to resign from Congress and withdraw his gubernatorial bid, describing the sexual misconduct allegations as serious and credible.
“Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him,” the former staffers wrote in the letter published by multiple media outlets.
Democratic contenders remaining in California’s gubernatorial race include former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former California Rep. Katie Porter, billionaire activist Tom Steyer, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
This story is developing and will be updated.
