Rep. Eric Swalwell is forcefully denying online allegations of sexual misconduct that surfaced just weeks before California's June 2 gubernatorial primary, calling the claims flatly false as they spread across social media and begin to collide with an already volatile campaign season.
The California Democrat, who is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, publicly pushed back after town hall events in Sacramento, where reporters asked him about accusations circulating online that he had inappropriate relationships with young staffers and interns.
Swalwell's answer was blunt. "It's false," he said. He also denied claims that women in his orbit had been required to sign nondisclosure agreements, adding that there had never been such agreements, settlements, or formal allegations during his years in Congress.
The accusations were amplified online by activist and former Capitol Hill staffer Cheyenne Hunt, who has posted that multiple women were preparing to come forward with allegations involving Swalwell.
As of Wednesday, April 8, no civil lawsuit, criminal charge, or publicly filed ethics complaint tied to those claims had been identified in reporting by major outlets covering the controversy. The allegations remain unverified and are largely circulating through social media posts, rumor networks, and politically charged commentary rather than through sworn filings or independently corroborated investigative reporting.
In misconduct cases involving public officials, allegations can quickly become a campaign issue before they become a legal one. In this case, the available public record remains thin. The Los Angeles Times reported that Swalwell said no ethics complaints had been filed against him and that no staffers had been asked to sign NDAs during his 13 years in Congress. ABC7 also reported Swalwell's categorical denial and noted that he chose to respond publicly because he did not want questions about his conduct lingering as voting nears.
Still, the timing is politically combustible. Swalwell is one of several prominent Democrats in a crowded race that also includes Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, while Republicans are trying to consolidate behind figures such as Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. California's top-two primary system raises the stakes for any controversy, verified or not, because even a short-lived scandal can alter fundraising, media attention, and voter behavior in a fractured field.
The online allegations also land as Swalwell faces broader political pressure.
In recent days, he has been the subject of renewed attacks tied to older FBI-related controversies that did not result in charges, something his allies have described as part of a coordinated effort to damage his candidacy. That broader context does not prove that the new allegations are politically motivated, but it does help explain why his campaign has framed them as an "outrageous" smear rather than a developing legal scandal.
The winners of the June 2 primary will face each other on the polls November 6.
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