The California Democrat denied the accusation as allies and labor groups pulled back support in the governor’s race.
NEW YORK, NY — The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it is investigating a sexual assault allegation against U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat who is also running for governor, after a former staffer accused him of two nonconsensual encounters, including one in a New York City hotel in 2024.
The investigation pushed a fast-moving political crisis into a criminal arena at a crucial point in California’s governor’s race. Swalwell, who had been seen as one of the stronger Democratic contenders to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, denied the allegations in a video statement and said they were false. But major allies moved away from him within hours, and senior Democrats said the matter requires a serious review as voting nears in the state’s June 2 primary.
The allegations became public Friday, when the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a woman who had worked in Swalwell’s district office said he sexually assaulted her in 2019 and again in 2024. According to that account, the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent both times. Reuters reported that she later told CNN the 2024 encounter amounted to rape and happened in a New York City hotel after she had already left Swalwell’s staff. Swalwell responded in a recorded statement Friday, saying, “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false.” He added that they “did not happen” and said he would fight them. He also apologized to his wife for what he described as past “mistakes in judgment,” while insisting those personal matters were separate from the accusations now before the public.
By Saturday, prosecutors in Manhattan confirmed they had opened an investigation into the New York allegation. The district attorney’s office said anyone with information should contact its special victims division, signaling that the case is being handled through the office that typically reviews sexual assault claims. Publicly available reporting does not show that charges have been filed, and prosecutors have not described any evidence beyond saying the matter is under review. The Chronicle reported that it examined text messages tied to the 2024 allegation and interviewed people the woman said she had confided in. The Associated Press said it had not independently verified her account or identity, and her lawyer declined public comment. Swalwell has not answered the allegation with a point-by-point public rebuttal, but he has broadly denied that any sexual assault occurred.
The accusation landed at a volatile moment in state politics. Swalwell entered the governor’s race as a nationally known Democrat with a House platform, fundraising reach and a record as a former prosecutor. In California’s top-two system, all candidates run on the same primary ballot, and the two highest finishers advance to November regardless of party. That structure had already raised worries among Democrats that a crowded field could split the vote. The allegations intensified those concerns. AP reported that voters will receive mail ballots next month ahead of the June 2 election. The issue also cut against Swalwell’s public image as a lawmaker who has often spoken about public safety, accountability and his work on behalf of victims during his time as a prosecutor. For party leaders, the immediate question became not only whether the allegation could upend his campaign, but whether the scrutiny would reshape the broader contest to succeed Newsom in the nation’s most populous state.
The political fallout was swift and unusually broad. Sen. Adam Schiff withdrew his support and said he was deeply troubled by the accusation. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who had been helping with Swalwell’s campaign, said he was ending that role and argued the congressman should leave the race so the matter could be addressed without distraction. Labor organizations also began to pull back. AP reported that the California Service Employees International Union formally rescinded its endorsement and urged Swalwell to withdraw, while the California Teachers Association suspended its support. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has not endorsed in the governor’s contest, said the allegation should be investigated and suggested that happen outside a campaign setting. A spokesperson for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the claim requires a serious and thorough investigation. Newsom, who had largely stayed out of the primary, said the allegations were deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.
Questions also spread beyond Sacramento and into Congress. Reuters reported that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she plans to introduce a motion next week seeking Swalwell’s expulsion from the House. Luna argued that it would be unacceptable for him to end a statewide campaign while remaining in office on Capitol Hill. Such a move would face steep odds in the chamber, where expulsion requires a two-thirds vote, but the announcement showed how quickly the controversy had widened. There is no indication that House leadership has embraced that step, and Democrats who publicly addressed the matter focused more on investigation than on immediate removal from Congress. Even so, the episode now touches three tracks at once: a criminal inquiry in New York, a campaign crisis in California and a mounting fight over whether the allegations affect Swalwell’s ability to continue serving in the House while defending himself.
At the center of all of it is a public record that remains incomplete. The woman’s name has not been released publicly by major news organizations. No court filing laying out criminal allegations has been made public. Prosecutors have not said whether they have interviewed Swalwell, the accuser or any witnesses. CNN reported, according to Reuters, that three other women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, adding to the pressure around him, but the Manhattan inquiry announced Saturday appears tied to the New York allegation involving the former staffer. Swalwell, who represents a district east of San Francisco and first won his House seat in 2012, has argued that the timing of the allegation is suspicious because it surfaced just before the primary. So far, though, he has not announced that he is leaving the race, and the most consequential next steps are likely to come not from campaign speeches but from investigators, party leaders and the voters who will soon begin receiving ballots.
As of Saturday evening, where the case stood was clear in only the broadest terms: prosecutors in Manhattan said they are investigating, Swalwell says the allegation is false, and his political support is rapidly eroding. The next major marker is likely to be any statement from prosecutors, a campaign decision by Swalwell, or both, in the days before California’s June 2 primary.
Author note: Last updated 2026-04-12.