Eric Swalwell Resigns From Congress Following Sexual Assault Allegations

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) says he plans to resign his seat in Congress.

Swalwell posted a statement to X Monday afternoon saying:

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

I’m 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. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.

Swalwell added that he will work with his staff in the coming days to ensure a smooth transition.

CNN’s Manu Raju reported that the story was unfolding rapidly, calling the news a “dramatic downfall.”

“Swalwell was a front-runner, a Democratic front-runner for the party’s nomination to be the next governor of California, battling it out with several other Democrats in that race,” Raju said, continuing:

But in the aftermath of all these allegations, he saw his support completely collapse. One backer after another withdrawing his support, their support calling on him to withdraw from his race for California governor. Ultimately, he did announce last night that he would no longer run for governor, but it was still a question about whether he tried to hang on to this seat…But there was expected to be a vote this week to expel him. And a lot of Democrats were indicating that they would vote, indeed, to expel him from Congress. But a dramatic downfall from someone who rose to prominence as an anti-Trump Democrat leader to become the next governor of California, now plans to give up his seat among these very serious allegations of sexual misconduct.

Also Monday, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Swalwell over the sexual misconduct allegations made by multiple women last week, and first reported in The San Francisco Chronicle. One staffer alleged the congressman raped her. Swalwell has denied all claims as “false.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Saturday it was launching a criminal probe into the 2024 rape accusation. The accuser, appearing on CNN in shadow, told Pamela Brown:

“I remember the next day, I can see flashes of that evening, of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me. It was a lot more aggressive — it was aggressive.

“Did you say no?” Brown asked her.

“Yes, I said no. In the flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off of me saying ‘no,’” the accuser said.

This is a breaking story and has been updated.

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