Ex-Staffer Alleges Sexual Assault by Rep. Eric Swalwell A former staff member of Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, has accused the congressman of sexually assaulting her twice, once while she was employed and another years later when she was no longer an employee. The allegations, detailed in a series of interviews with the San Francisco Chronicle, have sparked significant political and legal repercussions for Swalwell, who has denied the claims and threatened legal action. Swalwell’s campaign issued a statement on Friday, calling the accusations “categorically false” and framing them as an “election eve” attack. The campaign emphasized that the congressman has “always protected women” and vowed to “defend himself with the facts” if necessary. However, the allegations have already led to the withdrawal of key endorsements from prominent allies, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, as well as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who called on Swalwell to step down from the gubernatorial race. The woman, who worked for Swalwell in his Castro Valley district office from 2019 to 2021, described a pattern of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct. She alleged that Swalwell, who is married and 17 years her senior, began pursuing her shortly after she was hired at age 21. According to her account, Swalwell sent explicit images of his genitals via Snapchat and demanded nude photos in return. She recounted an incident in which he attempted to kiss her in her car after a donor meeting, later pulling out his penis in the vehicle and asking her to perform oral sex. She claimed she complied in a parking lot, though she expressed confusion about the details of the encounter.#san_francisco_chronicle #rep_erik_swalwell #nancy_pelosi #jimmy_gomez #adam_gray
