Former staffer says Rep. Eric Swalwell raped her

[0:00] CNN has new exclusive reporting about Congressman Eric Swalwell. [0:03] The Democrat is running for California governor, as you know. [0:07] He's been facing rumors on social media about sexual misconduct allegations that he has denied. [0:13] CNN's Pamela Brown and her team have spoken with four accusers, [0:16] including a former staffer who went on camera to share her story. [0:21] A warning. You're about to hear some disturbing and graphic details. [0:26] Here's Pamela Brown's report. [0:27] I kept figuring out ways to blame myself. [0:32] I shouldn't have reached out to him at all. [0:34] I should have left. I should have done this. [0:37] Well, Eric shouldn't have raped me. [0:40] This Capitol Hill staffer is coming forward for the first time on camera [0:44] to talk about her experience with Congressman Eric Swalwell. [0:48] He is now a leading Democratic candidate for governor of California. [0:52] Let's get together. Make the biggest wave this state has ever seen. [0:56] Swalwell was in his late 30s and married. [0:58] When she joined his office as an intern and became a junior staffer, [1:03] she's speaking in shadow as she fears professional consequences. [1:07] It was in 2019. I was again driving him to an event. [1:10] This was my job. [1:11] And you were 21 years old. [1:12] And I was 21 years old. [1:13] We see some sort of parking lot and he says to pull over. [1:16] He pulls out his penis and instructs me to give him oral sex. [1:22] And I started to, again, I felt incredibly uncomfortable. [1:28] And I stopped and I said to him, this feels really uncomfortable and anyone could see us right now. [1:36] And he said to me, you're right. [1:37] It's probably not good for a congressman to be caught with his pants down. [1:40] Swalwell calls her allegations false. [1:43] His campaign responded earlier to vague accusations on social media related to his behavior with staffers. [1:50] Did you ever behave inappropriately with female staffers? [1:53] No. No, it's false. [1:55] And also, you know, some of the allegations I've seen, which is that we've had NDAs in the office. [2:00] Never. There's never been an allegation. [2:02] And there's never been a settlement. [2:05] And, you know, I will also just take stock that, look, we're 27 days before an election starts. [2:12] Did he ask you to send him lewd photos? [2:14] Yes. [2:14] And did he ever send lewd photos? [2:16] Yes. [2:17] He would send short Snapchat videos of him rubbing his penis through his pants while on the airplane. [2:26] The staffer says she liked Swalwell's attention at first and nervously went along with it, which included sending back nude photos of herself. [2:35] But in September 2019, she says she and some friends met up with Swalwell. [2:40] After a night of heavy drinking, she says she woke up naked with Swalwell in a hotel room with no memory of what happened. [2:47] The five of us were having some drinks. [2:50] At some point, it was time to go home. [2:51] I got in an Uber, I was taken to the Aloft Dublin Pleasanton where he was staying, and I don't remember what happened that night. [3:06] But I know that we, there was sexual contact because when I woke up in the morning, I could feel that there was. [3:15] And he said as much, too. [3:20] What did he say? [3:22] That last night was great. [3:25] It didn't feel great to me because I didn't remember it. [3:28] And so you blacked out and you end up in his hotel room and wake up with him. [3:32] Yes. [3:32] She says another incident occurred in 2024 after this event in New York, where Swalwell gave a speech. [3:39] Some of us are working hard on Capitol Hill. [3:42] At the time, she no longer worked for Swalwell's office. [3:46] I decided to ask him to meet me for a drink. [3:48] And I did this because I was so far removed from what had happened in 2019. [3:55] I felt safe because I was established. [4:00] I had a partner. [4:02] I felt more secure that I could have a strictly professional relationship with this person. [4:09] After that bar closed, we went to another. [4:12] I went to the bathroom, and I don't remember anything after that. [4:17] You don't remember anything? [4:18] I remember the next day, I can see flashes of that evening of him on top of me, me pushing [4:26] him off, him grabbing me. [4:29] It was a lot more aggressive. [4:35] It was aggressive. [4:37] Did you say no? [4:38] Yes. [4:39] I said no. [4:40] I said, I, in my flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off of me saying no. [4:48] And what did he do? [4:49] He didn't stop. [4:50] He didn't stop. [4:51] And you woke up the next morning? [4:54] I woke up the next morning naked, alone, in his hotel room. [4:59] I, for a moment, didn't even know I was in his hotel room. [5:05] That's how intoxicated I was. [5:08] And I called my mom, the only person I could think that could help me. [5:13] Her mother confirmed her account in an interview with CNN. [5:16] CNN also reviewed screenshots of texts she sent to a friend, saying she was, quote, sexually [5:22] assaulted by Eric. [5:23] She also shared this note from a physician's assistant, calling her a, quote, survivor after [5:30] she went to get tested for STDs one week later. [5:33] Why do you feel like it's so important to speak out now? [5:36] When I found out there were others who might have been impacted by Eric in different ways, [5:42] I realized I couldn't be scared anymore because that is how he keeps us quiet. [5:48] The fear, the shame. [5:49] In addition to this former staffer, three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged sexual [5:54] misconduct by Swalwell. [5:56] One said he kissed her and touched her without her consent. [6:00] Two of the women said he sent them unsolicited explicit messages or nude images of himself, [6:05] something the others say Swalwell did with them as well. [6:09] One shared this message where he commented on her photo and wrote, quote, [6:12] that swimsuit with an expletive. [6:15] You like it, she responded. [6:17] Yes, very much like, he wrote. [6:20] In a statement to CNN, Swalwell said, quote, [6:23] these allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. [6:28] For nearly 20 years, I have served the public as a prosecutor and a congressman [6:32] and have always protected women. [6:35] There is another me out there. [6:37] There is another young girl who dreams of working in this field [6:41] and believes in him and could fall into this trap. [6:45] And that's why you're speaking out. [6:47] Yeah. [6:48] You want to protect others like you when you were young. [6:51] No one protected me. [6:54] Sorry. [6:55] No one protected me. [6:57] And I don't want someone else to suffer because I know what I know. [7:07] And Pamela Brown joins me now. [7:09] Pamela, unbelievably intense in terms of that conversation. [7:12] What else do we know about how the campaign's been responding? [7:16] I mean, obviously, he's running for governor. [7:18] He's a member of Congress. [7:19] This is unbelievably striking. [7:22] Yeah. [7:23] He is under mounting pressure to withdraw from Democratic leaders. [7:27] His campaign is unraveling since these allegations came to light today. [7:33] And Congressman Swalwell, for his part, posted this video defending himself, [7:37] particularly against a sexual assault allegation. [7:40] So I want to watch what he posted to social media. [7:42] A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations. [7:46] And I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. [7:50] These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. [7:54] They are absolutely false. [7:55] They did not happen. [7:57] They have never happened. [7:58] And I will fight them with everything that I have. [8:01] They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California. [8:07] I do not suggest to you in any way that I'm perfect or that I'm a saint. [8:12] I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past. [8:16] But those mistakes are between me and my wife. [8:18] And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position. [8:23] I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me. [8:27] But I think you know who I am. [8:30] For over 20 years, I have served the public as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, [8:38] and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims. [8:44] That's who I am and have always been. [8:49] This weekend, I'm going to spend time with my family and friends. [8:53] And I appreciate those who have reached out to me to show support. [8:57] And I look forward to updating you very soon. [8:59] And a lawyer for Swalwell sent two of the women CNN spoke with seize and desist letters on Thursday. [9:06] That was a day after CNN first reached out to his campaign to request comment, [9:10] according to copies of the letters that they provided CNN, the women. [9:14] Now, the letters called the women's accounts false, ordered them to retract their statements, [9:18] and warned of potential legal action. [9:21] If they continue to speak out, the women stand by their accounts to us. [9:26] Laura. [9:26] Hello, Ram. Thank you so much. [9:28] Thank you. [9:28] The political fallout, it has been swift. [9:32] House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is encouraging him to drop out of the race for California governor, [9:37] saying any investigation that happens, quote, [9:40] is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign. [9:44] Other Democrats, even more forceful. [9:47] Longtime ally in California Senator Adam Schiff saying, quote, [9:51] I am withdrawing my agreement immediately and believe that he should withdraw from the race. [9:57] Congressman Swalwell's attorney, Elias Dubai, joins us live now from Los Angeles exclusively. [10:04] Thank you so much for joining us. [10:06] CNN gave Congressman Swalwell multiple opportunities to respond on camera to Pamela's reporting. [10:12] I invited him to join us live tonight. [10:15] He just posted that video online. [10:17] But why won't he join us to answer the questions directly? [10:21] Well, let me start by telling you that we take these allegations very seriously. [10:26] The congressman categorically denies any misconduct took place, and we intend to vindicate his rights in court. [10:34] So when you say that you take them seriously, are you suggesting, and what he just said there was that he made mistakes between me and my wife. [10:44] I apologize to her deeply. [10:46] Is he saying that he cheated on his wife but didn't do anything illegal? [10:52] I'm not going to get into the details of that. [10:55] Our investigation is ongoing. [10:57] A lot of it is privileged. [10:58] But I can tell you, based on the video that you just played, the congressman takes accountability for potential lapses in judgment, [11:05] but, again, categorically denies any wrongdoing. [11:11] So your investigation is ongoing. [11:14] Why isn't he here, though, to answer those questions? [11:16] You didn't answer that question. [11:17] Why isn't he putting himself out there to answer the questions directly? [11:22] Well, he has a campaign to run. [11:23] He's busy. [11:25] He's taking these allegations seriously. [11:27] And, again, as he told you in that video, he's spending time with his family and his wife and his friends, and that's his choice. [11:34] So there are now four different women who accuse Congressman Swalwell of sexual misconduct. [11:42] Is your position that all of them are lying? [11:45] Look, as an attorney, I look at credibility. [11:48] I look at motive. [11:49] And I have to question the timing of these allegations, 25 days out from an election. [11:56] Many of these allegations are from women who claim that the wrongdoing took place many years ago. [12:00] And in those years, the evidence I've seen demonstrates that these women, certain of them, have reached out to the congressman on multiple occasions, [12:10] wishing him nothing but the best, supporting his campaign, saying that they'd vote for him for governor, [12:16] asking for references for jobs, attending social events with him. [12:20] So from my perspective, looking at the facts, I do have to question the credibility of these allegations. [12:28] You know that there's a long history and a lot of evidence of sexual assault experts who say that the victims often go back to the perpetrators [12:39] and that that is frequently a thing. [12:44] So just because they went back and continue to relation with him, everything they're saying is not true? [12:49] I'm telling you that I'm assessing the credibility of the claims that are being made, the timing of the allegations, and it raises eyebrows. [13:01] But there is evidence. [13:02] I mean, in Pam's piece, she showed a note from a physician's assistant that called her a survivor. [13:09] She had an STD pregnancy testing. [13:12] We talked to family and friends she confided in. [13:14] We saw text messages from the time. [13:17] That was way before he was running for governor, at a time when she believed in him as a candidate and as a congressperson. [13:25] I'd prefer not to get into those. [13:27] That was all cooked up years ago? [13:28] I'd prefer not to get into those details at this time. [13:31] But I can say that those text messages were sent by someone who was in a relationship at the time and may have had her own motives. [13:42] What does that mean? [13:42] The investigation is ongoing, and I do plan on vindicating the congressman's rights. [13:51] So the Democratic leader of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, is calling for a swift investigation in the House, where the congressman is still a member. [13:59] Is Congressman Swalwell prepared to testify under oath that he never had sexual relations with any staffer? [14:07] That's something that we have not looked at yet. [14:10] I'm hearing this now for the first time, and I'm not prepared to give you a response. [14:16] So he is not prepared to testify under oath before a House ethics commission. [14:21] That's not what I said. [14:21] That's not what I said. [14:23] I said I have not discussed that. [14:25] So he's willing to testify under... [14:26] I didn't say either one of those. [14:28] I said that I have not discussed that with the congressman, and that's something that we will look at. [14:32] So there is a growing list of Swalwell's friends and colleagues who had endorsed him for governor, but now say that they are pulling their endorsement. [14:44] That includes Congressman Jimmy Gomez and Senator Adam Schiff, who were campaign co-chairs. [14:50] They now say he should drop out. [14:53] Is Eric Swalwell still running for governor of California tonight? [14:57] As of this moment, yes, he is. [14:59] He intends to continue his campaign. [15:02] Yes, very much so. [15:04] The notion that all these people pulled their support, I suspect that there are political machinations behind the scenes explaining why the Democratic Party has decided to try to consolidate the vote in order to make sure that a Democratic candidate makes it past the primary. [15:28] So I'm not surprised to see that. [15:30] That doesn't make any sense. [15:32] That's one thing if we're talking about the candidates that are running against him. [15:37] These are people who endorsed him. [15:39] These are some of his best friends in Congress. [15:41] Ruben Gallego, one of his closest friends. [15:44] Jimmy Gomez, who he asked to chair the campaign. [15:47] People have made commercials for him saying go out and vote for him. [15:50] They are now saying on the record that he should drop out. [15:55] Many of them saying they believe the women, not him. [15:57] I mean, why are they, are they all lying? [16:01] What is their motivation in this? [16:03] And why is he not listening to his best friends in Congress? [16:06] People are free to make their choices. [16:08] I think that might be, this might be an example of a rush to judgment. [16:13] We have not seen any evidence to support these allegations. [16:17] And people are rushing to judgment. [16:20] That's their choice. [16:21] Why have none of Swalwell's closest allies come out tonight to back him up? [16:28] It's early in the night. [16:29] That might change. [16:32] So Swalwell said to at least one of the women that he wanted to take their conversations to Snapchat. [16:38] Why? [16:39] Why would he want to communicate with disappearing messages with younger individuals that he's interacting with in a professional capacity? [16:47] Well, I haven't seen any evidence that that ever took place. [16:54] Well, okay. [16:55] Hopefully we can provide that to you later, but at least I'll look forward to seeing the evidence. [17:02] So several of the women received cease and desist letters. [17:07] They have now spoken out. [17:09] Do you plan on prosecuting or going forward with legal action against the women? [17:13] We are looking at the evidence and that is something that we are taking very seriously. [17:18] We can, these allegations were made anonymously. [17:21] We triangulated sources and we were able to identify who was making these claims. [17:26] We believe that these claims are false. [17:27] And once we had enough information to determine who was making them, we sent cease and desist letters and we're now looking at all available legal options. [17:35] Yes. [17:37] When is Eric Swalwell going to be back on the campaign trail? [17:42] That's not clear. [17:42] He's taking time with his family right now. [17:44] And that's a decision for him to make. [17:50] Well, we appreciate you coming on and talking with us. [17:54] And we look forward, hopefully, to having the opportunity to talk with him as well. [17:58] Elias Dubai, thanks so much for being with us. [18:00] My pleasure. [18:03] Let's go back now to CNN's chief investigative correspondent, Pamela Brown. [18:06] Your first reaction to what we just heard. [18:08] Well, yeah, a few things. [18:10] First of all, Alex, you know, when he says he engaged in no wrongdoing, there is there is legal wrongdoing. [18:17] Right. And there's moral wrongdoing. [18:19] And I didn't hear clearly a specification as it came to that. [18:24] And one of the big points that his attorney raises is that, you know, look, this happened years ago. [18:30] Why are these women coming out now during an election cycle where he's leading? [18:34] And we asked that question and you heard it there in the piece, Alex, I asked the woman I interviewed, why now if this happened several years ago? [18:43] And you heard her say there was shame. [18:47] There was fear. [18:49] But also over the last couple of weeks on social media, there had been rumors that other women had these claims. [18:57] And the women we spoke with, including the one I sat down with, said that emboldened them and gave them the confidence to want to speak out. [19:04] And as you heard the woman I interviewed, help other women. [19:08] Yeah, I mean, it's it's interesting that Swalwell puts out a video but doesn't answer questions and gives you guys a very generic statement. [19:16] And then the attorney comes on and says that he's launching an investigation. [19:20] But when we ask specific questions about the evidence, says that he hasn't completed his investigation. [19:25] So it seems like there's not a lot of answers coming out of the Swalwell campaign at all. [19:30] And what I noticed, too, you know, a couple of days ago, Congressman Swalwell was asked on the trail, have you ever had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staffer? [19:41] And he said, no, that's false. [19:43] What I noticed in the video he sent out tonight, he didn't talk about that. [19:48] He didn't talk about he didn't deny having a sexual relationship with a staffer. [19:53] He was really focused. He said he denies the sexual assault allegations, which, of course, as you know, Alex, is criminal. [20:00] And then he went on to say he has apologized to his wife, which which, as you indicated, is he saying that there was misconduct, but maybe not legal misconduct. [20:10] The lawyer really didn't answer that question. There's still a lot of questions here. [20:14] And as you pointed out, Alex, some of his friends in Democratic politics are now putting pressure on him to withdraw from this race. [20:22] And the lawyer seems to indicate that's not going to happen. [20:25] We'll see how this plays out, because his campaign is really unraveling right now.