Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is now facing simultaneous investigations from two separate bodies after the House Ethics Committee announced Monday it had opened a probe into sexual misconduct allegations against the congressman, the same day Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed it is also investigating him.
Bragg’s Special Victims Division is examining allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted a former female staffer during a gala in New York City in April 2024, according to a statement from the DA’s office released over the weekend.
“We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373,” a DA spokesperson said. “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
The allegations against Swalwell were first published Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The unnamed woman told the paper she was hired at 21 to work in Swalwell’s district office in 2019. She claimed her married boss began pursuing her within weeks, allegedly sending her naked pictures over Snapchat and requesting sexual acts. On one occasion, she said she woke up naked in Swalwell’s bed after blacking out while drinking.
The Manhattan incident allegedly occurred separately, after she had left his office. She told the Chronicle she remembered only “snippets of the night” following drinks after the gala, including telling Swalwell “no.” Three days later, she reportedly told a friend she believed she had been sexually assaulted.
Since the Chronicle’s initial report, several additional women have come forward with their own allegations against the Bay Area congressman.
Swalwell has denied all the accusations. He apologized to his wife in a video posted online and wrote on X Sunday: “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made. But that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
He announced he was suspending his campaign to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom before the denials were finished. The announcement came less than a week after he entered the race.
The House Ethics Committee probe, announced Monday, adds a second formal investigation running parallel to the Manhattan criminal inquiry. The committee did not specify the scope of its investigation but said it would examine the sexual misconduct allegations.
