The senior staff of Rep. Eric Swalwell's (D-Calif.) congressional office and gubernatorial campaign say they believe his accusers.
In a statement obtained by Sources Say News, the aides said they are "horrified" by allegations of sexual misconduct reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, and made clear their continued presence on staff shouldn’t be mistaken for loyalty.
"Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell," they wrote. The aides said they stand with "our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward," and called the behavior detailed in the reports "abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office."
They also addressed junior staff who may feel trapped in their positions.
"We recognize that not everyone — in particular our junior staff — can immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk or consequence," they continued. "Our responsibility now is to them."
The statement closed with a pointed rebuke of their boss.
"We, more than he, understand that we have obligations to the people we lead and to the constituents of California's 14th Congressional District,” they said.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a former staffer alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her and CNN spoke to four women who described a range of misconduct — from unsolicited explicit messages to unwanted physical contact and, in one case, rape.
Swalwell has vehemently denied assault accusations. In a video posted to social media, he called the allegations "absolutely false," though he appeared to acknowledge personal misconduct of some kind, apologizing to his wife for "mistakes in judgment" while insisting they were unrelated to the accusations against him.
A slew of senior Democrats, including some of his closest allies, quickly pulled their support and called for him to drop out of the gubernatorial race.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) issued a joint statement demanding he end his campaign immediately and calling for a swift investigation. And on Saturday, the walls closed in further, with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announcing it is investigating an allegation of sexual assault stemming from an incident in New York City in April 2024.
Swalwell did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether he would drop his gubernatorial bid.
