Updated April 12, 2026 / 9:20 PM EDT — CBS News
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is investigating sexual assault allegations against Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and is urging survivors and anyone with relevant information to contact the office. A spokesperson said specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors stand ready to assist in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.
The allegations were first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, and CNN first reported the Manhattan DA’s investigation. The Chronicle’s story described allegations by a former staffer from Swalwell’s Castro Valley district office. According to the report, the woman said Swalwell began pursuing her shortly after she was hired, sent inappropriate photos via Snapchat, requested nude photos, and asked her to perform oral sex in a parking lot. She also alleged that after drinks in September 2019 she woke up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed with little memory of the night.
The woman said that in 2024, after she no longer worked for Swalwell, she met him for drinks following a charity gala in New York. She alleges she became intoxicated, remembers only parts of the night, pushed him away and said “no” while he forced himself on her, and woke the next morning with vaginal bleeding and bruises. The Chronicle reported it reviewed texts the woman sent to a friend three days after the alleged 2024 incident in which she wrote she was “sexually assaulted.”
Following the reports, Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California and called the allegations false and politically motivated. In a statement, he said he has spent nearly 20 years serving the public as a prosecutor and congressman and has always protected women. He added he would focus on his family and defend his record against what he called lies, and he threatened legal action against the woman.
House Democratic leaders called for a swift investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign, saying the allegations are unacceptable and must be taken seriously. Leaders stopped short of demanding his resignation from Congress. In addition, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, announced plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell; such a vote could occur as soon as midweek, creating possible repercussions for the House’s composition ahead of the midterm elections.
Deanna Marie Lowe and Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.