Following his departure from Congress, more than a dozen women have accused former California Representative Eric Swalwell of misconduct.
Various women shared with CNN their experiences with Swalwell, both in person and through social media, where the 45-year-old married former congressman allegedly made them uncomfortable. Some claimed that while Swalwell publicly supported abuse victims, he behaved inappropriately in private.
The new allegations trace back to Swalwell’s time at Campbell University in North Carolina, where he published a poem with lines like, “She chased and I ran/ I chased and she ran / My anxious arm she bit – my scar is beautiful/ While I screamed/ She bent her lips to mine.”
Swalwell’s attorney told CNN, “[Swalwell] categorically denies being crude toward women during his college years nearly three decades ago,” and argued that “[The poem] is plainly a teenage metaphor about drinking — not sex.”
Allegations of troubling behavior by Swalwell continued into his early political career. It was reported that he held congressional meetings at a Hooters restaurant in 2012. His attorney defended these actions as not newsworthy, stating that Swalwell occasionally met at casual chain restaurants.
Several women claimed that Swalwell, despite being married, sent them overly flirtatious messages on Snapchat. (Swalwell has been married to Brittany Watts since 2016, and they have three children.)
Heather Purcell recounted to the outlet that Swalwell made her feel uneasy by looking her up and down and touching her shoulder at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Later, Swalwell allegedly gave her his personal phone number, but Purcell mentioned she never contacted him, and they did not interact again.
Purcell shared, “I had a gut feeling that the power dynamic did not feel right to me — that he was just trying to engage in a personal relationship when it should have been professional.”
Swalwell’s lawyer characterized his interactions with Purcell as “routine and non-contentious.”
An anonymous woman accused Swalwell of taking her bag during a private meeting at a bar and heading to an elevator, seemingly trying to persuade her to go to his hotel room. She recounted retrieving her bag after following him to his floor.
She stated, “I said, ‘How dare you disrespect me like that,’” adding that Swalwell appeared shocked as the elevator doors closed. “If it was anyone else, I’d be screaming and calling security. But this is someone I know professionally, and he’s a congressman.”
Swalwell’s lawyer dismissed these allegations as “flat out false.”
Eric Swalwell in October 2025. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for the Songwriters of North America (SONA) Warrior Awards
A former staffer from another congressional office alleged to CNN that she was involved in a consensual sexual relationship with Swalwell over several years, meeting at hotels and exchanging explicit videos and photos. She recounted, “His stories would be his, like, congressional content, but then he would be sending me d*** pics.”
Swalwell’s attorney asserted, “There was no supervisory or professional relationship and, accordingly, no power imbalance.”
Real estate agent Sanam Vivansia from Washington D.C. shared that after meeting Swalwell in 2021, they exchanged flirty messages, and he later invited her to his hotel room in San Francisco. Vivansia claimed she texted Swalwell about feeling uncomfortable, but he denied her account of the events. (Swalwell’s lawyer refuted claims of inappropriate conduct.)
Addressing the broader allegations, Swalwell’s attorney told CNN, “Swalwell categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him.”
The lawyer described Swalwell’s interactions as “routine and professional,” acknowledging, however, that he “had extramarital contact with women.”
“He’s not denying that,” the attorney added. “But that’s very different than engaging in nonconsensual sexual misconduct.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Swalwell regarding these allegations.
The husband of one of the women who have accused Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexual assault and harassment has responded to the congressman’s video denying the allegations. “My wife’s name is Ally Sammarco. Obviously you know that, but she’s not named anonymous,” Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic strategist and former DNC National Field Director, wrote via […]
In April, multiple women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct. A former staffer at his Castro Valley district office reported to the San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell once propositioned her for oral sex and later invited her for drinks, after which she allegedly blacked out and awoke naked in his hotel bed, suspecting he had initiated intercourse.
Content creator Ally Sammarco claimed Swalwell offered to share her resume with his contacts before sending inappropriate Snapchat messages. Other women who made allegations remained anonymous, fearing retaliation.
Swalwell was a leading candidate for the California gubernatorial race when the scandal emerged. He initially described the sexual assault accusations as “flat false” on April 11.
Swalwell stated, “They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have.” He also noted that the allegations surfaced just before an election where he was the frontrunner.
He added, “I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I’m a saint — 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 suspended his gubernatorial campaign on April 12 and resigned from Congress amid potential expulsion threats in the House of Representatives.
On April 13, Swalwell expressed his regret in a statement shared via X, saying, “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.” He vowed to fight the serious but false allegations against him while taking responsibility for his mistakes.
He continued, “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore I plan to resign my seat in Congress. I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure that they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
