- CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle published simultaneous bombshell reports on April 10, 2026, alleging that Swalwell sexually assaulted a former staffer on two separate occasions and engaged in misconduct with three other women.
- Within 72 hours, Swalwell lost all 21 congressional endorsements, his top campaign and congressional staff resigned, 55 former aides signed a letter calling the allegations credible, and the Manhattan DA opened a criminal probe.
- Swalwell suspended his governor’s campaign Sunday, announced his congressional resignation Monday, officially left Congress Tuesday at 2 p.m., and a fifth accuser held a press conference the same afternoon — making the fall from frontrunner to finished one of the fastest political collapses in recent American history.
Rep. Eric Swalwell had emerged as one of the top candidates in California’s crowded governor’s race — a Bay Area Democrat with name recognition, a talent for television, and a loyal progressive base. Then came Friday.
Here is every moment that mattered.
April 10, 2026 — The Stories Drop
The San Francisco Chronicle published a bombshell story featuring a young woman who said she had a sexual encounter with Swalwell while she worked in his office and that he later, on two separate occasions, sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent. CNN published simultaneously. The most serious accusation came from the former staffer, who told CNN that Swalwell raped her in 2024 after a night of heavy drinking. She described being left with bruises, cuts, and bleeding following the encounter.
The same woman also alleged a prior incident in 2019, when she said she woke up naked in a hotel room with Swalwell after drinking and had no memory of what had occurred. CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including text messages she sent two friends describing the allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one friend, adding: “By Eric.” The woman also shared medical records related to receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
April 10, 2026 — Swalwell Responds, and Partly Admits
Swalwell flatly denied the allegations of sexual assault in a video posted on social media, and vowed to fight them. But he seemed to acknowledge at least some infidelity, adding that any mistakes are between him and his wife, and apologizing for “putting her in this position.” His campaign called the reporting a political hit job — a framing that would age very poorly, very quickly.
April 10, 2026 — The Endorsements Evaporate, A Staffer Walks
Within hours of the stories publishing, Swalwell was abandoned by nearly all his supporters. Top House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, called for his exit, and he lost 21 endorsements from fellow Democratic members of Congress. The speed was breathtaking. One member of Swalwell’s staff said they quit immediately after receiving CNN’s detailed list of questions about the allegations.
April 11–12, 2026 — Staff Exodus and Labor Abandonment
Over the weekend, senior staffers from both his congressional office and campaign resigned, and major labor groups like the California Teachers Association and SEIU California pulled their support. His campaign website no longer contained links to donate or a page listing his donations. The infrastructure of a frontrunner evaporated in real time.
April 12, 2026 — Manhattan DA Opens a Criminal Investigation
Prosecutors in New York opened a criminal investigation on Saturday into an allegation that Swalwell sexually assaulted a former staffer in New York City, according to a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg‘s office issued a public call for survivors and witnesses to come forward — a statement that transformed what had been a political story into a criminal one.
April 12, 2026 — 55 Former Staffers Sign the Letter
In a joint statement on Sunday, 55 of Swalwell’s former staff members called the allegations “serious” and “credible” and urged law enforcement to investigate. They also called on Swalwell to resign from Congress and withdraw from the governor’s race, and apologized to their former colleague “for not knowing what you were enduring.” “We believe her,” the letter stated. “What has been described is not a political attack. It is the account of a young woman who trusted her employer, who was targeted and exploited by someone in a position of power over her, and who has carried this burden for years.” The letter was a gut punch — not from opponents, but from his own people.
April 13, 2026 — The Governor’s Race Is Over
Swalwell suspended his campaign on Sunday evening (April 12, 2026) after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former congressional staffer arose the prior week. In his short statement posted on social media, he did not address whether he would remain in Congress. That question would be answered in fewer than 24 hours.
April 14, 2026 — House Ethics Opens an Investigation; Pelosi Calls It
The House Ethics Committee announced that it had opened an investigation into Swalwell “with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.” That same day, Swalwell’s close friend Sen. Ruben Gallego, who had chaired his 2020 presidential campaign, said on X that he believed Swalwell was “no longer fit” to be a member of Congress. Nancy Pelosi, when asked at a George Washington University event if she had advised him to step down, did not soften it: “I think it’s a smart decision. That’s the right thing to do.”
April 14, 2026 — Swalwell Announces His Resignation from Congress
Swalwell announced he would vacate the 14th congressional district seat on social media. “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he wrote. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.” He was facing an almost certain expulsion vote — a bipartisan plan had been forming involving a congresswoman from each party drafting removal measures, with Swalwell and Gonzales each given notice that if they did not resign by 2 p.m. ET, the expulsion process would move forward.
April 15, 2026 — Swalwell Officially Leaves; A Fifth Accuser Speaks
Swalwell’s resignation became effective at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday. That same afternoon in Beverly Hills, Lonna Drewes held a press conference detailing what she described as a violent sexual encounter in 2018, saying she believed Swalwell had drugged her drink. “When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated, and I couldn’t move my arms from my body,” she said. “He raped me and he choked me, and while he was choking me I lost consciousness and I thought I died.” Her attorneys filed a report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which confirmed it is investigating the matter.
The Alameda County and Manhattan DA investigations remain active and ongoing. A man who spent years positioning himself as one of Congress’s most prominent accountability voices left his seat facing criminal inquiries in two jurisdictions — and a roster of accusers that kept growing even after he was already gone.
