Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) suspended his campaign for governor of California late Sunday amid a mounting crisis involving multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and other oppo dump-style attacks ahead of the June primary.
The Allegations
As has been reported on AM Update, rumors had been circulating for some time now that a number of women were preparing to go public with allegations against Swalwell. On Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN published detailed accounts, with the most serious allegations coming from a former congressional staffer who spoke to both outlets.
The woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by Swalwell in incidents she says occurred in 2019 and again in 2024. She described alleged sexual encounters that she claims occurred while she was intoxicated and without her consent.
Even so, the woman admitted she kept in touch with Swalwell after the first alleged assault and was even the one who initiated contact with him on the night of the second incident, inviting him to drinks in New York City. On Saturday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into her claims.
Multiple other women also came forward to accuse Swalwell, who is married and has three children, of inappropriate behavior, including unsolicited explicit messages and photos sent by the congressman.
But the allegations are more nuanced than many in the media have reported. On Monday’s edition of The Megyn Kelly Show, Megyn called Swalwell “disgusting, very creepy, and really gross,” but she noted that “whether he actually raped a woman is a different question entirely.”
With that in mind, she took a closer look at the reporting from CNN and the Chronicle and what the accusers told each outlet. Watch:
Swalwell’s Denial
The seven-term congressman released a video on social media Friday night vehemently denying the most severe allegations. “A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations… These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false,” he said. “They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have.”
While Swalwell said he did not mean to “suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint” and acknowledged he has “certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past,” he said those “mistakes are between me and my wife, and, to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position.”
The 45 year old blamed politics for the timing of the accusations. “They… come on the eve of an election, where I have been the front-runner candidate for governor in California,” he said in the video.
According to CNN, an attorney for Swalwell sent cease-and-desist letters to two of the women, calling their allegations false, demanding retractions, and warning of potential legal action if they continue speaking out.
The Governor’s Race
Prior to these accounts, the congressman was the leading Democrat candidate in the race for California governor to replace term-limited Gavin Newsom. The RealClearPolitics polling average showed him in second place at 13.7 percent, sandwiched between the two Republican candidates – Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton in first with 14.7 percent and Chad Bianco in third at 13 percent.
In the open primary system, the top two vote-getters move on to the general regardless of party affiliation. With early voting set to begin May 5, the crowded and divided Democrat field had led some to wonder whether the top two candidates might wind up being Republicans. The two Democrats most poised to benefit from Swalwell’s exit are former Congresswoman Katie Porter and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer.
Before suspending his campaign, Swalwell faced a mass exodus of endorsements after the media stories conveniently all hit at once over the weekend. The powerful California Teachers Association, a union boasting 310,000 educators, withdrew its support, as did his former colleague Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). Powerful Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called for Swalwell to drop out of the race.
Meanwhile, several staffers in both his congressional office and gubernatorial campaign reportedly resigned in the wake of the allegations, releasing a statement reading in part, “we’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN.”
What Really Happened?
Questions remain as to who was behind the oppo dump, and many are also wondering whether the scandal will lead to Swalwell’s exit from Congress. On Monday, the House Ethics Committee announced it has opened an investigation into misconduct allegations.
Megyn took a closer look at the seemingly coordinated campaign against Swalwell on Monday’s show to get to the bottom of what really happened. Watch:
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,294 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.