SACRAMENTO — Rep. Eric Swalwell, a number one Democratic candidate for California governor, on Tuesday denounced on-line claims that he had inappropriate relationships with younger congressional employees members.
“It’s false,” he instructed reporters after a night city corridor on the Scottish Ceremony Masonic Middle in Sacramento.
When requested, Swalwell mentioned he by no means behaved inappropriately with feminine employees members or had a sexual relationship with a employees member or an intern.
Swalwell, 45, added that allegations that his employees members have been requested to signal nondisclosure agreements or entered into authorized settlements have been patently false. He and his marketing campaign spokesman added that the timing of the allegations — lower than one month earlier than ballots land in voters’ mailboxes, when he’s among the many front-runners within the governor’s race — is notable.
“This false, outrageous rumor is being unfold 27 days earlier than an election begins by flailing opponents who’ve sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists as a result of they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner on this race,” spokesman Micah Beasley mentioned in an announcement.
Allegations that Swalwell (D-Dublin) acted sexually inappropriately with younger ladies have been swirling on-line for weeks, with the tempo rising in current days as Democratic strategists, Washington insiders and social media influencers posted in regards to the allegations, together with that he made these ladies signal nondisclosure agreements.
Cheyenne Hunt, a Laguna Hills lawyer and government director of a progressive advocacy group, and social media influencer Arielle Fodor, recognized on-line as Mrs. Frazzled, are amongst these publicizing the allegations on-line. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who has tangled with Swalwell prior to now, additionally took to social media to amplify the allegations and query the California congressman’s conduct.
“Smearing survivors with claims that they ‘teamed up with MAGA’ is morally repugnant,” Hunt wrote on X after Swalwell’s group responded.
Fodor instructed The Occasions that the feedback from Swalwell’s group are “ridiculous and verifiably unfounded.”
Swalwell’s marketing campaign started forcefully pushing again in opposition to the allegations, which have not too long ago been circulated by conservative media shops such because the Washington Free Beacon and the California Globe, on Tuesday afternoon.
“In 13 years, nobody in Eric Swalwell’s Congressional workplace has ever been requested to signal an NDA. Ever,” Beasley mentioned in an announcement that was first reported by Politico. “In 13 years, not a single ethics grievance by any employees in his workplace or every other workplace has ever been lodged. Ever.”
The Occasions has not independently corroborated reviews of inappropriate conduct.
An advisor to the congressman’s gubernatorial marketing campaign mentioned they felt they needed to communicate out due to the brewing tempest weeks earlier than ballots land in voters’ mailboxes in early Might.
“We’re talking out now as a result of we’ve nothing to cover from,” this advisor mentioned, requesting anonymity to talk candidly. “We all know how the brand new media ecosystem works. We all know how misinformation spreads. The info of what they’ve put out don’t line up.”
This advisor mentioned that marketing campaign staff are required to signal an settlement to not disclose confidential strategic data however that no congressional or marketing campaign staff are requested to signal any settlement relating to Swalwell’s personnel conduct.
“Persons are coming at him from either side of the aisle … as a result of he’s the front-runner,” the individual mentioned.
Swalwell mentioned he determined to deal with the matter as a result of he didn’t need Californians to query his ethics.
“I’m providing myself, additionally, as any individual who’s fearlessly going to face up for Californians, and, you realize, on the hardest points, not flinch,” he mentioned.
Former Rep. Katie Porter, one in all Swalwell’s prime Democratic rivals within the governor’s race, mentioned Tuesday that she was troubled in regards to the claims in regards to the congressman’s conduct.
“I’ve seen allegations coming from ladies staffers. They’re very, very troubling allegations,” Porter, who has confronted criticism of abusive conduct towards her staffers, mentioned on CNN. “It’s these ladies’s tales to inform when they’re prepared, and I hope they really feel secure and supported in the event that they select to take action.”
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, one of many Republican front-runners within the governor’s race, mentioned he anticipated the allegations to vastly affect the competition.
“I feel in California, Swalwell was solely fashionable due to his hatred for President Trump,” he mentioned on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast. “He’s not going to outlive this…. He ought to in all probability simply drop out and save his household.”
Swalwell entered the marketing campaign to exchange termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom in November, and up to date opinion polls present he’s among the many Democratic front-runners. Swalwell had the help of 13.7% of voters in a median of current polling compiled by Actual Clear Politics, behind solely Republican Steve Hilton, a conservative commentator who had a median of 14.7%.
That is the second controversy Swalwell has confronted in current days.
Late final month, he accused President Trump of attempting to sway the governor’s race primarily based on reviews that the FBI may launch paperwork associated to a decade-old investigation about his affiliation with an alleged Chinese language spy.
The investigation centered on Swalwell’s ties to a suspected intelligence operative, Christine Fang, or Fang Fang, who labored as a volunteer elevating cash for his congressional marketing campaign. Swalwell minimize off ties to Fang in 2015 after intelligence officers briefed him and different members of Congress about Chinese language efforts to infiltrate the legislative physique.
Swalwell was by no means accused of wrongdoing. In an interview with The Occasions in November, he mentioned he was cleared by the FBI and a GOP-led Home Ethics Committee of any impropriety in his ties to Fang.
FBI Director Kash Patel directed brokers within the bureau’s San Francisco workplace to redact the case information for public launch, in line with a report by the Washington Put up, a extremely uncommon transfer to launch case information tied to a investigation that didn’t lead to legal costs.
Swalwell’s attorneys filed a cease-and-desist letter with Patel and the FBI. No paperwork have been launched as of Tuesday night.
The congressman mentioned he expects further assaults in coming weeks.
“We anticipate there will likely be one thing new from this president, or, you realize, wherever it comes from within the subsequent, you realize, couple weeks,” he mentioned. “That’s simply, you realize, the character of campaigns.”
Occasions employees author Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report.
