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Rep. Eric Swalwell’s political career is collapsing at a shocking speed.
Within 24 hours, the Bay Area congressman went from Democratic frontrunner for California governor to facing pressure to not only end his campaign but resign from Congress — while now being the subject of a criminal sexual assault investigation into allegations by a former staffer she was raped while drunk at an April 2024 charity gala.
Three other women have made claims about sexual misconduct ranging from inappropriate messages or unwanted contact. The women have claimed they have documented visits to the hospital and contemporaneous messages with friends and family about the incidents.
One staffer has also claimed she woke up naked next to him in a hotel room in 2019 after a heavy night of drinking and didn’t remember what happened but felt physically like they’d had sex.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office launched a criminal probe into the woman’s rape claim.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” she told CNN. “He didn’t stop.”
The DA’s office issued a statement Saturday urging survivors and anyone with knowledge of allegations to contact its Special Victims Division.
“Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner,” officials said.
Swalwell has furiously denied the allegations of rape and sexual assault, but he did admit to indiscretions in a social media post Friday evening, saying he would be spending time away from the campaign with family and friends.
However, The Post confirmed that rather than being at home, Swalwell was holed up in the $26 million Beverly Hills mansion of his eccentric billionaire benefactor, Stephen Cloobeck.
Multiple sources confirmed that the video Swalwell recorded was taken from a room inside the 9,700-square-foot home of Cloobeck, who’s also been shacking up with an alleged honeytrapper accused of burglarizing the home of rich, older men in Los Angeles.
“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly,” Swalwell said in his denial video.
“These allegations of sexual assault are flat out false.”
Katie Porter, a former congressman, was one of many candidates in the race for governor calling on Swalwell to end his campaign and to resign from Congress.
“But those decisions do not absolve him of taking responsibility for his misconduct, especially when he has attempted to silence and retaliate against these victims,” Porter wrote, leading some to note allegations that she verbally abused and physically assaulted her ex-husband.
Michael Trujillo, a Democratic political strategist based in Los Angeles, told The Post he had heard of improper relationships between Swalwell and staff as far back as 2017 — but even he was taken back by the rape allegations.
“Narcissistic sociopaths think they’re good guys. So no matter what Eric Swalwell has been accused of, he still thinks he’s a good person,” he said.
Swalwell’s resistance to dropping out of the race has done little keep his campaign staff from hemorrhaging.
“We’re trying to help the staff [find new jobs], people who are new and cared and believed and put their professional lives on the line,” one campaign source told The Post.
“They went to work for someone who has horribly let them down.”
Senior staffers for both Swalwell’s campaign and his congressional office issued a joint statement saying they are “horrified” by the allegations.
“The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians,” staffers wrote.
“Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell.”
David Latterman, a political analyst in San Francisco, said that Swalwell’s campaign is like a “dead man walking.”
Many of Swalwell’s Democratic allies in Congress — from House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries to former speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi — have called for an investigation and told Swalwell to drop out of the governor’s race.
“Maybe the campaign is the least of his problems right now if he’s criminally charged and there is real evidence against him,” Latterman told The Post.
Swalwell’s financial disclosures offer one possible explanation for why he has refused to step aside.
The congressman, who previously worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County, had at least $80,000 in credit card and student loan debt as of last summer, along with a home loan for a property in Washington, D.C. valued between $1 million and $5 million, according to economic disclosures he filed.
Meanwhile, his assets included a Bank of America account with as little as $15,000 and a small public pension valued between $1,001 and $15,000.
Swalwell’s reported stake in AI company Findraiser, which has been accused of aggressively courting business in a manner that may violate House ethics laws, was valued between $250,000 and $500,000. The technology may be a tougher sell with Swalwell under criminal investigation.
Swalwell, who has claimed to rent a room in Livermore to establish residency in California, now could be on the hook for legal fees to defend himself if a case moves forward.
The Post visited Swalwell’s home in Livermore last month and found an empty cottage cheese container on the lawn, and none of his neighbors could recall having ever seen him.
With money tight, Swalwell’s past campaigns have offered a lifeline for his family, as he spent $244,000 in campaign funds on childcare from 2019 through 2025, according to the Sacramento Bee. Swalwell and his wife Brittany — whom he apologized to in his denial video Friday — have three young children.
A source familiar with the congressman’s financial history told The Post that Swalwell’s money situation may be what’s driving his refusal to heed calls for him to end his campaign and resign from Congress.
“He has no backup,” the source said. “I really think so much of this is about a financial path forward.”
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