Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress on Monday, citing mounting pressure, public scrutiny, and the need to uphold accountability amid controversy.
Swalwell’s political bid unraveled rapidly after several women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct, including a former staff member who alleged he initiated intimate contact when she was incapable of giving consent. Swalwell took to social media to issue a statement acknowledging past mistakes while firmly rejecting the allegations against him.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 13, 2026
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make. I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell wrote. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed Saturday that it has opened an inquiry into a sexual assault allegation involving Swalwell, tied to an encounter following a 2024 charity event where a former staffer told CNN she had been intoxicated and awoke to find him in bed with her, claiming she resisted and told him to stop but he did not. In a separate claim reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the same woman alleged she had previously woken up unclothed beside Swalwell in his hotel room in September 2019 while working in his district office.
Several members of the Democratic Party publicly urged Swalwell to withdraw from his campaign for governor of California. In 2023, then–House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee over concerns surrounding an alleged relationship with Christine Fang, who was reported to have ties to China’s Ministry of State Security. Swalwell has denied having such a relationship. (RELATED: DHS Investigating Eric Swalwell Amid Accusations He Illegally Employed Brazilian Nanny)
Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday evening, announcing the decision in a post on X and noting he was stepping back from the race to replace Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Swalwell said he took responsibility for past mistakes in judgment, expressed regret to his family, staff, and supporters, and stated he would continue to contest what he described as serious and false allegations.
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