The Manhattan District Attorney’s (DA) office launched a criminal probe into Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell after a former staffer accused the congressman of sexually assaulting her in a New York City (NYC) hotel room.
DA Alvin Bragg’s office released a statement Saturday urging anyone with information to reach out. “We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373,” a spokesperson told the New York Post (NYP). “Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
The accuser, who has not been publicly named, told CNN she was heavily intoxicated following a charity event in April 2024 when she woke up to find Swalwell on top of her in his hotel bed. “I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman said. “He didn’t stop.” (RELATED: Democrats Urge Swalwell To Drop Out After Ex-Staffer Accuses Him Of Sexual Assault)
The former aide had left Swalwell’s office before the alleged NYC incident, CNN reported. Her accusations are among those from four women who have recently come forward against the congressman.
The same woman told the San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell first assaulted her in September 2019 when she was a 21-year-old employee at his Castro Valley district office. She alleged she woke up unclothed beside the congressman in a hotel room with no memory of what occurred.
The fallout has not stopped at Manhattan. The Alameda County DA’s office told CNN News it is also reviewing whether any criminal activity took place within its jurisdiction tied to the 2019 allegations.
Swalwell rejected every accusation in a video posted to X on Friday. “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false,” the gubernatorial frontrunner said. “They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have.”
Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false. And I will fight them. pic.twitter.com/bQSlCquD1U
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 11, 2026
House Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, demanded a rapid investigation and urged Swalwell to abandon his governor’s race, NBC News reported. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna announced Saturday she would file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress entirely, according to the Washington Times.
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