U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell came out swinging Friday amid claims he sexually assaulted several women and raped a former congressional staffer.
“A lot has been said about me through anonymous allegations,” the Democrat from California said. “Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false. And I will fight them.”
Swalwell, running for the Democrat gubernatorial nomination in California, was accused by an ex-staffer of raping her.
The woman who made the most serious accusation appeared in shadow on CNN, declining to be identified.
Amid a torrent of allegations against Swalwell, leading Democrats both in California and on the national scene called on him to pull out of the governor’s race.
They included U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Pelosi said she had told Swalwell to end his bid and Jeffries, the top House Democrat, joined other caucus leaders in calling on him to “immediately end his campaign,” CNN said.
If they told him to resign from Congress, they didn’t say, even though logic would suggest removing an alleged rapist from federal office is more compelling than merely quitting a campaign.
CNN said it spoke to four women who alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, ranging from inappropriate messages and pictures to unwanted kissing and touching – and in one case, rape.
A former staffer of Swalwell says that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
He issued a video statement on social media denying the claims.
“I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly,” he said. “These allegations of sexual assault are false. They are flat false.”
“They did not happen,” he added. “They have never happened and I will fight them with everything I have.”
Swalwell claimed the charges were politically motivated on what he called the eve of an election that polls show he is leading.
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint,” he said. “I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past.
“But those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her I apologize deeply for putting her in this position.”
Swalwell, 45, a lawyer, has been in Congress 13 years.
He announced his gubernatorial campaign in November to succeed term-limited Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom was conspicuously absent Friday in joining the state Democrats calling for Swalwell to resign the race.
The California governor, seen as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, had no immediate comment on the allegations against his fellow Democrat.
libs eating their own.