Updated April 11, 2026 — This story has been updated to reflect new developments, including women publicly naming allegations referenced in earlier reporting and Democratic leaders urging Rep. Eric Swalwell to withdraw from the gubernatorial race.
The influencer who publicly suggested there were allegations against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell has ties to University of California, Irvine School of Law — the same law school where Rep. Katie Porter has been a longtime faculty member — but Porter’s campaign says the two “don’t have a relationship to speak of.”
Recent developments and reactions
– Several women whom the influencer, Cheyenne Hunt, had been alluding to on social media began coming forward last week with more specific allegations. In response, some Democratic leaders called on Swalwell to exit the governor’s race.
– Swalwell has denied engaging in inappropriate behavior with female staffers. His campaign says no ethics complaints were ever filed during his 13 years in office, though multiple staffers have reportedly left his campaign.
– Swalwell’s campaign has suggested the accusations were being amplified by online influencers connected to political opponents.
Connections between Hunt and Porter
– Cheyenne Hunt is a lawyer, former congressional candidate and executive director of Gen-Z for Change. She earned a law degree from UC Irvine School of Law.
– Katie Porter served as a professor at UC Irvine School of Law and remained formally affiliated with the school while serving in Congress. Porter also lived on campus while on leave from teaching.
– Timeline highlights: Hunt enrolled at UCI Law in fall 2018 while Porter was running for Congress; Hunt participated in UCI Law’s Washington externship pipeline and interned on Capitol Hill in 2020; Porter delivered the law school commencement address in 2021 at the ceremony where Hunt graduated; and in 2024 Hunt posted a photo with Porter while running for a nearby Orange County congressional seat, calling Porter a “trailblazer.”
Porter’s response
Porter’s campaign spokesperson Peter Opitz said in an email, “They don’t have a relationship to speak of. In fact, Katie endorsed a different candidate when she was running in a neighboring district.” On CNN, Porter said she had seen reports from women staffers about Swalwell that were “very, very troubling,” and that any women who come forward should feel safe and supported. She added she had not personally spoken to women planning to come forward and emphasized protecting people who report harassment or assault.
Swalwell campaign response
Micah Beasley, a Swalwell campaign spokesman, dismissed the reports as a “false, outrageous rumor” spread by opponents “teaming up with MAGA conspiracy theorists,” and reiterated there have been no ethics complaints against Swalwell during his time in office.
Hunt’s public posts and role
Hunt posted in March that she was working with multiple women preparing to share allegations involving Swalwell, but initially did not identify individuals or provide specifics. CBS News California reached out to Hunt for comment multiple times but had not received a response prior to this update.
Correction
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Hunt ran for Porter’s congressional seat in 2024. Hunt ran in the neighboring Orange County district CA-45; Porter previously represented that area before redistricting renumbered it as CA-47.
This account summarizes publicly reported connections and statements. News organizations have not independently verified every allegation; reporting continues as more people speak publicly and party leaders respond to the evolving situation.