4 girls have accused married Eric Swalwell of horrific acts of sexual assault and misconduct — together with a former staffer who claims he raped her.
The California governor candidate’s marketing campaign was hanging by a thread Friday when the alleged victims aired bombshell particulars of what they are saying occurred to them.
One of many girls, a former staffer, claimed he raped her when she was drunk and left her bruised and bleeding through the alleged 2024 assault.
She additionally claimed she awakened bare subsequent to him in a lodge room in 2019 after a heavy evening of consuming and felt bodily like they’d intercourse.
One other lady, who stated she first met Swalwell on-line, alleged she additionally awoke subsequent to him in a lodge after a drunken evening out, including he allegedly kissed her and touched her leg with out consent.
And social media influencer Ally Sammarco, claimed he had despatched her nudes on Snapchat after they began speaking about politics on X.
Democrats got here out in pressure on Friday demanding Swalwell pull out of the governor’s race, together with Nancy Pelosi who stated an investigation must be launched.
The daddy of three, who has been married to Ritz-Carlton gross sales director Brittany Watts since 2016, has issued a blanket denial over the claims and despatched stop and desist letters to a minimum of two of the ladies.
In a press release to CNN, Swalwell stated: “These allegations are false and are available on the eve of an election in opposition to the front-runner for governor.
“For almost 20 years, I’ve served the general public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have all the time protected girls. I’ll defend myself with the info and the place crucial convey authorized motion.
“My focus within the coming days is to be with my spouse and youngsters and defend our a long time of service in opposition to these lies.”
The previous staffer described harrowing particulars on the evening she was allegedly raped, telling CNN of the 2024 incident: “I used to be pushing him off of me, saying no. He didn’t cease.”
She claimed the episode pressured her to acquire assessments for being pregnant and sexually transmitted ailments, and stated she had despatched texts to her pal concerning the alleged assault.
In a separate account printed by the San Francisco Chronicle a staffer additionally gave a vivid account. It isn’t clear if it’s the similar lady.
She claimed she awakened subsequent to him feeling disorientated with vaginal bleeding and bruising.
The girl claimed she started working for his 2019 presidential marketing campaign after graduating from faculty. She was later employed into his Castro Valley district workplace, the Chronicle reported.
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Inside weeks, she claimed, Swalwell started messaging her specific photographs and requesting nude pictures, which she stated she supplied partially out of concern about upsetting her boss.
Throughout a automotive trip after a donor occasion in San Francisco, she claimed, Swalwell tried to kiss her and recommended their on-line exchanges had been resulting in that second.
In one other occasion weeks later, she alleged he uncovered himself in her automotive and requested for oral intercourse, which she started to carry out in a car parking zone earlier than stopping out of worry of being seen.
One other lady, who was contemplating working in politics, allegedly started messaging with Swalwell on-line final yr after she commented on one in all his Instagram tales.
She stated she was “shocked” when Swalwell took an curiosity in her. They met for dinner and drinks at a steakhouse in what she initially thought was an expert dialog.
They reportedly continued the night at a bar, when Swalwell allegedly started making extra aggressive bodily contact together with her — together with kissing her in the midst of the bar as she started to really feel “fuzzy,” CNN reported.
“He was sitting in opposition to me, and so I form of moved away from him, and each time that I might transfer away from him, he would get nearer to me,” she stated.
The girl claimed she ended up in Swalwell’s lodge with little reminiscence of what occurred, leaving at 5:41 a.m. and later sending him an extended textual content message studying: “All you probably did was hurt me.”
“I received’t trouble you once more!” Swalwell allegedly responded. “Sorry.”
Different girls alleged Swalwell started reaching out to them on-line, generally by means of disappearing message app Snapchat, the place the congressman allegedly despatched photographs of his genitals, as soon as allegedly pleasuring himself on an airplane in a video despatched to the previous staffer.
Swalwell was topped the “Snapchat king of Congress” in 2016 over his enthusiasm for the app, which was then widespread amongst teenagers and younger millennials.
Social media creator Sammarco claimed she messaged Swalwell on Twitter in 2021 asking about his historical past rising up in a Republican household.
She claimed he started sending her provocative late-night messages, referring to her as a “unhealthy angel,” and finally switched their communications to Snapchat the place he allegedly shared photographs of his penis.
He allegedly “ran by her condominium constructing a number of occasions,” giving her hugs however not coming inside.
One other lady, who stated she works in advertising, claimed Swalwell despatched her unsolicited movies of his penis and drooled over bikini footage she shared on Instagram, writing: “That swimsuit. F***.”
The experiences are the fruits of days of rumors about Swalwell’s habits with girls.
A number of individuals stop Swalwell’s workers on Friday and highly effective allies, together with Sen. Adam Schiff and the SEIU, pulled their help of his marketing campaign.
Swalwell’s fundraising and endorsement pages have been yanked late as backlash grew — together with a name for an investigation by highly effective former Home Speaker Pelosi, who additionally demanded he pull out.
The embattled congressman’s legal professionals acquired out forward of the claims breaking, revealing they’d despatched stop and desist letters to 2 of the ladies.
The letter from lawyer Elias Dabaie stated: “It has come to our consideration that you just made false statements accusing Mr. Swalwell of sexual assault and nonconsensual sexual encounters.
“Mr. Swalwell takes these allegations severely, each as a result of they’re false and since they’re being injected into the gubernatorial race solely 24 days earlier than voters go to the polls.”
The letter raised the potential of a defamation lawsuit, writing that the recipients, who haven’t been recognized, are “topic to legal responsibility for defamation.”
Swalwell has been approached for additional remark.
