A former congressional staffer is now actively cooperating with a criminal investigation led by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The investigation centers around deeply disturbing allegations of sexual assault leveled against former Representative Eric Swalwell.
The accusations first surfaced earlier this month with a detailed report in the San Francisco Chronicle. A woman, who worked for Swalwell for two years beginning in 2019, came forward with a harrowing account of alleged misconduct.
According to the staffer’s account, Swalwell began pursuing her shortly after she joined his office at the age of 21. The alleged behavior escalated over time, culminating in two separate incidents of sexual assault.
The first incident, she claims, occurred in California in 2019 following a night of heavy drinking. She described a situation where she had little recollection of events, alleging nonconsensual sexual contact.
Years later, in April 2024, the staffer alleges Swalwell committed a more violent act in a New York City hotel. Her recollection is fragmented, marked by terrifying flashes of struggle and a subsequent awakening in a state of disorientation.
“I went to the bathroom, and I don’t remember anything after that,” she recounted, stating she only regained clarity the following morning. She vividly remembers “flashes of that evening of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me.”
She described the 2024 assault as intensely aggressive, stating, “He didn’t stop. He didn’t stop.” She awoke naked and alone in Swalwell’s hotel room, initially unsure of her location due to the extent of her intoxication.
CNN corroborated elements of the woman’s story through interviews with friends and family to whom she confided in the aftermath of the alleged assaults. They also reviewed contemporaneous text messages and a message from her medical provider referring to her as a “survivor” following testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Following CNN’s initial reporting, three additional women came forward with accounts of alleged misconduct by Swalwell, adding further weight to the growing concerns surrounding his behavior.
In the wake of the allegations, Swalwell swiftly withdrew from the California governor’s race and resigned from his position in Congress. He has vehemently denied the accusations, asserting they are false and promising a vigorous defense.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation, now bolstered by the accuser’s full cooperation and legal representation, marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings surrounding these serious allegations.
