Former U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress after multiple women came forward with sexual misconduct allegations against him. Just one day before, he had already suspended his campaign for California governor. The House Ethics Committee opened a probe into the claims hours before he announced he was stepping down.
The allegations, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN, included claims from at least four women. A former staffer told Page Six that Swalwell assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent. Three other women alleged he sent unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos. Both the Manhattan and Alameda County District Attorney’s Offices opened investigations. Swalwell denied everything, calling the allegations “flat false.”
As the scandal grew, a video from September 2022 surfaced showing Swalwell in a robe on the 200-foot luxury yacht Arience off St. Tropez. Sources said that two friends chartered the yacht after flying from Las Vegas, then called Swalwell to join them. He arrived by commercial flight to find a group of young women already on board. “The people on the boat were told to keep it hush-hush about Swalwell being on the trip,” a source said.
Turns out the yacht video was just the beginning of his problems
The week-long trip reportedly had a party-like feel, with alcohol flowing freely and days spent jet skiing and lounging on the deck. Some women were said to have been sent back to shore and replaced by others during the trip. One source described the atmosphere by saying Swalwell “didn’t seem like a politician” but rather “more like president of a frat house.” Sources did not say Swalwell was seen in any romantic or sexual situation with any of the women on board.
Back in Washington, the fallout from the misconduct allegations was fast and wide. His former staffer’s detailed account, and the eerily similar stories from three other women, paint a troubling picture of the allegations he now faces. More than 50 former staffers called for his resignation. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both California Democrats, also called on him to step down.
Even close ally Senator Ruben Gallego, who had chaired Swalwell’s 2020 presidential campaign, said he believed Swalwell was “no longer fit to be a Member of Congress.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had also announced plans to bring a motion to the House floor to expel him, which would have needed a two-thirds vote to pass.
Swalwell had served in the House since 2013, representing California’s 14th congressional district for seven terms. He was a high-profile figure in his party, serving as an impeachment manager during Donald Trump’s second Senate trial and sitting on the House Intelligence Committee.
He had also made a brief run for president in the 2020 election. At the time the allegations broke, he had been considered one of the leading candidates in the California governor’s race, with major unions like the California Teachers Association backing him. That support vanished almost overnight. The CTA withdrew its endorsement, with president David Goldberg saying the “disturbing allegations by multiple women cannot be ignored.”
In his resignation statement, he wrote: “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.” He also said he would “fight the serious, false allegation” made against him. His resignation also pushed open the door for a broader conversation about expelling multiple members of Congress from both parties at once.
His resignation ended the House Ethics Committee’s investigation, as the committee only has authority over sitting members. A special election for his seat is expected to be called by Governor Gavin Newsom within 14 days of the vacancy being official.
Published: Apr 14, 2026 01:30 pm