Senior staff members for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), both in his congressional office and at his gubernatorial campaign office, quit en masse on Saturday as several former staffers accused him of sexual misconduct and even rape.
The senior staffers from both the campaign team and Swalwell’s congressional team released a joint statement saying that they were standing with the former staffer who accused the congressman of rape, and that they intended to stand for any other women who had come forward as well.
Swalwell’s congressional & campaign senior staff are out with a new stmt
“We’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN”
“The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays… pic.twitter.com/Ho9NqkQqin
— Brennan Leach (@brennanleach) April 11, 2026
“As leaders of teams working for Eric Swalwell, we’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN,” the statement began. “We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward. We believe you should stand with them too.”
“The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians,” the statement continued.
The staffers acknowledged that only senior staff members were represented, and noted that some junior staffers might not have the financial freedom to simply walk away from the job — and asked the public not to judge them too harshly if that were the case.
“Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell,” they wrote.
“We, more than [Swalwell], understand that we have obligations to the people we lead and to the constituents of California’s 14th Congressional District. Those of us that remain on staff do so for the sole purpose of ensuring that as many of those obligations are fulfilled as possible,” they concluded.
Swalwell released a video statement early on Saturday fighting back against the allegations he said were “flat false.” Just hours later, however, a video began circulating that showed the California congressman forcibly kissing a woman who was reportedly a sex worker. Since the first accusations were made public on Friday, a number of prominent lawmakers have withdrawn their support for Swalwell ahead of the gubernatorial primary — and several have called on him to withdraw from the race entirely.
