The Manhattan district attorney’s office confirmed on Saturday that it is investigating sexual assault allegations against U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and a leading candidate for governor of the state.
The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday reported that a woman who previously worked in Swalwell’s district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters, one while she was employed by him in 2019 and another in 2024 after she had left his staff.
She told CNN that he raped her during the 2024 encounter in a New York City hotel. Swalwell has denied the accusations as "absolutely false" and vowed to fight them, but several leading Democrats have urged him to end his bid for governor.
The woman, whom the Chronicle and CNN did not name, was quoted as saying she had been too intoxicated on both occasions to consent, according to the report.
CNN also reported that three other women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct.
The Manhattan district attorney's office urged anyone with knowledge of the allegations to contact its special victims division.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, posted on X that she planned to file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress.
Appearing on Fox News, Luna said on Saturday that it would be unacceptable for Swalwell to end his gubernatorial bid yet remain in Congress. She said she would file the disciplinary motion next week.
In his denial, Swalwell noted that the allegations come ahead of the June primary in the governor's race. In a large field of candidates from multiple parties, Swalwell has been widely considered one of the leading contenders to advance to a runoff in California's nonpartisan voting for governor.
The top two finishers in June's primary will advance to the general election in November, even if they are from the same party.
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