Rep. Eric Swalwell Resigns from Congress Following Misconduct Allegations

Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, announced his resignation from Congress on Monday following multiple allegations of misconduct that had already derailed his gubernatorial campaign. The resignation marks a stunning fall for the six-term congressman who had been a rising Democratic star and vocal critic of former President Donald Trump.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in a statement. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

Swalwell cited an imminent expulsion vote as part of his decision to step down, saying, “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties.”

The congressman’s political fortunes began unraveling last Friday when the San Francisco Chronicle published a damaging report containing graphic accounts from a woman accusing him of pursuing intoxicated women, pressuring employees into intimate situations, and soliciting explicit images from female contacts. The allegations first gained traction earlier in the month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who claimed they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

The Chronicle’s reporting prompted a wave of Democratic colleagues to withdraw their support for Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a powerful California Democrat who had previously backed Swalwell, urged that the accusations be investigated outside the context of his campaign.

“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in statements to NBC News.

Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona echoed similar sentiments, writing on social media: “I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting, and I take it seriously. What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed.”

Before these allegations emerged, Swalwell’s initial response through a spokesperson dismissed the claims as “false, outrageous rumors” being spread by “flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists.” However, the mounting pressure and loss of political allies ultimately led to both the end of his gubernatorial campaign and now his congressional career.

Swalwell has served in the House since 2013, following stints as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and as a city councilmember in Dublin, California. During his congressional tenure, he gained prominence as one of the House managers during President Trump’s first impeachment trial and for his investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The California Democrat also faced previous controversy when reports emerged in 2020 that he had been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. While Swalwell was not accused of wrongdoing in that case, it became a frequent point of criticism from his Republican colleagues.

The resignation creates a vacancy in California’s 14th Congressional District, a reliably Democratic area in the San Francisco Bay Area. Governor Gavin Newsom will likely call a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of Swalwell’s term.

Whether this resignation marks the permanent end of Swalwell’s political career remains unclear. At 43 years old, the congressman was once considered a rising Democratic star with national ambitions, having briefly run for president in 2019 before dropping out early in the primary process.