Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor after being accused of sexual assault

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his run for California politician connected Sunday pursuing intersexual battle allegations that helium continues to deny.

“I volition combat the serious, mendacious allegations that person been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell said successful a societal media post.

Democrats rapidly abandoned him aft allegations that helium sexually assaulted a pistillate twice, including erstwhile she worked for him, were published Friday successful the San Francisco Chronicle and aboriginal by CNN. The reports came arsenic Swalwell began to look arsenic a person contender successful the crowded race.

His exit from the contention comes little than a period earlier ballots spell retired successful beforehand of the June 2 superior and arsenic Democrats person been engaged successful a messy superior campaign. Swalwell's Democratic rivals were among those who swiftly urged him to exit the race, but his enactment besides cratered among allies successful Congress and labour unions who had endorsed him.

Some Democrats besides urged Swalwell to resign his spot successful Congress, but helium made nary notation of that Sunday.

The 48-hour play marked a accelerated reversal for a campaigner who appeared to beryllium gaining momentum successful the packed tract to regenerate Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who can’t question a 3rd term.

Though Swalwell has denied the allegations, helium has seemingly referenced infidelity successful aggregate statements.

“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I americium profoundly atrocious for mistakes successful judgement I’ve made successful my past,” helium wrote. That followed a video station connected Friday wherever helium apologized to his wife.

Swalwell's exit shakes up campaign

The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial contention that had Democrats fretting the party’s ample fig of candidates could pb to them getting unopen retired of the wide predetermination successful November. That’s due to the fact that California has a top-two superior strategy successful which 2 candidates beforehand careless of party.

Swalwell had go a wide people for his Democratic rivals arsenic helium began to fastener up organization support. Some had seized connected rumors of intersexual misconduct that circulated connected societal media for weeks earlier the Chronicle's report.

His departure from the contention volition permission his rivals scrambling to triumph implicit his supporters and donors. Other salient Democrats successful the contention see billionaire clime activistic Tom Steyer and erstwhile U.S. Rep. Katie Porter. The large Republican contenders are erstwhile Fox News big Steve Hilton, who has Trump’s backing, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a pistillate who alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her successful 2019, erstwhile she worked for him, and again successful 2024. The pistillate said she did not spell to constabulary astatine the clip of the assaults due to the fact that she was acrophobic she would not beryllium believed. In some cases the pistillate said she was excessively intoxicated to consent to sex. CNN reported connected allegations that appeared to travel from the aforesaid woman, and spoke to respective different women who accused Swalwell of different intersexual misconduct.

Neither outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been capable to independently verify her relationship and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incidental occurred successful New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it's investigating. That bureau urged anyone with cognition to interaction its peculiar victims division.

House colleagues telephone for Swalwell to resign

As Swalwell's run flailed implicit the weekend, chap California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, arsenic did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

“This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday. “This cuts crossed enactment lines. And it is depravity of the mode that women person been treated.”

Some typical said they would enactment the uncommon measurement of expelling him should helium garbage to measurement aside.

It each added to the mounting governmental unit connected Swalwell, which began with allies similar Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez cutting their support. Gomez had helped tally Swalwell’s run and said helium was instantly ending his role.

With the House returning to league Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could travel to a caput quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would beryllium filing a question to commencement the process.

Expulsion votes successful the House are uncommon and necessitate a two-thirds majority, but determination is caller precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York successful 2023 became conscionable the sixth subordinate successful House past to beryllium ousted by colleagues for his conduct.

Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernández said they would ballot to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they besides enactment expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an matter with a erstwhile unit subordinate who aboriginal died by suicide.

Swalwell, who is primitively from Iowa, was elected successful 2012 and represents a House territory eastbound of San Francisco. He launched a statesmanlike tally successful April 2019 but shuttered it a fewer months aboriginal aft failing to drawback connected with voters. He is possibly champion known nationally arsenic a House manager successful President Donald Trump’s 2nd impeachment proceedings during his archetypal word successful aboriginal 2021.

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Associated Press journalists Sophie Austin successful Sacramento, Calif., and Michael R. Blood successful Los Angeles contributed to this report. Finley reported from Washington.

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