Eric Swalwell Sexual Assault Allegations trigger CTA to rescind endorsement and major unions plus top Democrats to abandon his California governor bid.
A handful of Democrats and major unions have pulled their support for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell following new sexual assault allegations.
Shortly after Swalwell announced his run for California governor, the Democratic representative shot up in the polls and snagged major endorsements. However, after detailed sexual assault allegations became public, the California Teachers Association released a statement to the California Courier announcing the end it’s support for Swalwell.
“CTA’s democratically elected board has voted unanimously to rescind our endorsement of Representative Eric Swalwell in his campaign for Governor of California. We withdraw all support,” CTA President David Goldberg said.
“The disturbing allegations by multiple women cannot be ignored. Our union is proud to take action in solidarity with women who are victims of sexual violence today, and always. In the coming days, our union will determine in our democratic process any next steps we will take regarding the gubernatorial election,” Goldberg added.
Speculation about allegations involving interns and staffers had circulated online since March from left-leaning influencers. A spokesperson for Swalwell denied the allegations of sexual assault and a possible non-disclosure agreement when speaking to Politico on Tuesday. New reports released Friday have now detailed the allegations.
The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to publish a report detailing allegations from a former staffer in 2019. According to the outlet, the former staffer, who worked for Swalwell for nearly two years, claimed she had sexual encounters with the lawmaker and alleged he sexually assaulted her twice.
The unnamed woman told the outlet that Swalwell allegedly pursued her just weeks after she was hired at 21 years old. The woman alleged that Swalwell sent her pictures of his genitals via Snapchat, requesting nude pictures in return.
In another incident, the woman told The Chronicle that Swalwell allegedly pulled out his penis while they were in the car, asking her to perform oral sex on him. She claimed she complied.
By September 2019, the woman claimed that Swalwell invited her to drinks one night. During the event, she alleged she became so intoxicated that she didn’t remember what happened and woke up the next morning naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed.
The woman told the outlet that she could feel the “effect of vaginal intercourse.” Following the incident, she claimed that Swalwell distanced himself, with the relationship eventually fading.
Shortly after The Chronicle published the detailed allegations, CNN reported that three additional women had come forward alleging more sexual assault incidents.
One woman told CNN that she had connected with Swalwell due to her interest in Democratic politics. However, after allegedly ending up extremely intoxicated inside his hotel room after a night out, she remembered little of what happened. Notably, during the night at the bar, she told the outlet that Swalwell allegedly kissed her and touched her leg without her consent.
Since the allegations have piled up, additional major unions and Democratic figures have not only dropped their support but called for the lawmaker to withdraw from the governor’s race.
The Service Employees International Union California chapter released a statement on X stating it would be suspending its campaign activities and expenditures.
“SEIU CA has suspended our campaign activities and expenditures following extremely troubling allegations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell. Our leaders will be meeting and will proceed on next steps through the democratic process laid out in our bylaws,” the statement said.
The California Federation of Labor Unions, which previously gave Swalwell a “quad endorsement” alongside three other Democrats, also posted on X stating its shock at the allegations.
“We are shocked by the allegations against Rep. Swalwell. Our Federation is acting urgently to follow our constitutionally prescribed democratic process to determine next steps,” the statement said.
Other major Democratic political figures who once supported Swalwell, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have all pulled their support.
In both the Chronicle and CNN reports, Swalwell denied the allegations.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell told CNN. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
