Swalwell campaign denies ‘false, outrageous rumor’ as allegations of misconduct swirl on social media

By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN) — The campaign of Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democratic candidate for governor, on Tuesday sought to rebut claims made by several people on social media that multiple women plan to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct involving staffers.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Swalwell campaign communications director Micah Beasley said in a statement.

He also said one prominent claim that women have remained silent because of non-disclosure agreements is false.

“In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell’s congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever,” Beasley said. “In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever.”

The statement comes less than two months before California’s June 2 primary, in which Swalwell and several other prominent Democrats are battling for what’s likely to be just one spot in the November general election. Voters can begin mailing in ballots in less than four weeks.

All parties’ candidates compete in California’s primary, with only the top two finishers regardless of party advancing to the general election — a unique “top-two” system that complicates the state’s crowded field.

Just two major Republicans are competing: Steve Hilton, a British transplant and former Fox News host, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff. Republicans are a minority in California, but because the field of Democratic candidates is much larger and more fractured, Democrats have long feared a doomsday scenario in which none of the party’s candidates finish in the top two in the primary to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.

President Donald Trump this week endorsed Hilton, cementing the likelihood that he will advance, but also helping Democrats avoid the nightmare of being shut out of the general election.

Along with Swalwell, the roster of well-known Democrats in the race includes US Rep. Katie Porter; billionaire activist Tom Steyer; Xavier Becerra, the former state attorney general and Biden administration Health and Human Services secretary; San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan; former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; and former State Controller Betty Yee. None have emerged as a clear favorite.

Allegations of wrongdoing against Swalwell emerged on social media through accounts of progressive influencers. The Daily Caller, a conservative news outlet, on Monday published a report highlighting claims leveled by Cheyenne Hunt, a lawyer and former congressional candidate who is now the executive director of Gen-Z for Change.

Hunt said in an X post Monday that she is “working with a number of women who are in the process of coming forward and sharing their stories of sexual harassment and even alleged abuse at the hands of Eric Swalwell.”

Hunt did not name any of the women she said are alleging misconduct, and did not share the specifics of their claims. She said those women are working with a lawyer, and that some felt they had to remain silent because of non-disclosure agreements.

Porter, one of Swalwell’s Democratic rivals in the governor’s race, highlighted what she said were “very troubling allegations” Tuesday on CNN.

“With regard to Rep. Swalwell, I have seen allegations coming from women staffers. They are very, very troubling allegations. It’s those women’s stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so,” Porter said.

Porter said she has not spoken to any of the women who social media influencers say plan to come forward with allegations against Swalwell.

“This is about building a politics that works for people, that is focused on living our values, and I believe women. I think that has to be the starting place here,” she said.

Trump and other Republicans have long mocked Swalwell over his association with the woman at the center of a suspected political intelligence operation run by China’s main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Fang Fang or Christine Fang.

The House Ethics Committee in 2023 closed its investigation into Swalwell without taking action, and he was never accused of wrongdoing. However, The Washington Post reported in March that FBI Director Kash Patel was pushing to release case files from the investigation.

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