Fifty former Swalwell staffers call on congressman to resign, suspend campaign

Lia Russell, The Sacramento Bee on Apr 12, 2026

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More than 50 former members of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s congressional office and short-lived 2019 presidential campaign demanded he step down after four women accused him in reports by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle of sexual misconduct ranging from sending unsolicited nude photos to rape.

Former Swalwell staff dating back to his time as a congressional newcomer in 2011 signed a letter first reported by CNN calling for the Dublin Democrat to suspend his campaign for California governor and resign his congressional seat. He is also facing a potential expulsion vote from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida.

“The allegations reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN are serious, credible, and demand accountability,” the former staffers wrote. “We call on all relevant law enforcement authorities to open a full and thorough investigation into the allegations against Congressman Swalwell without delay. No one is above the law. Not a congressman. Not a candidate for governor. No one.”

The staff members who signed the letter included former interns, legislative assistants, communications directors and advisers, including Lisa Tucker, a longtime consultant who first began advising Swalwell in 2011 when he first successfully ran to unseat Rep. Pete Stark. She did not respond to a request for comment.

Another signatory, his former deputy chief of staff Tim Sbranti, had defended Swalwell to The Sacramento Bee as recently as last month as questions about whether Swalwell lived in his East Bay district emerged. Sbranti did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.

In the letter, the former staffers said they stood behind the woman who came forward to accuse Swalwell of rape: “To our colleague: you are not alone. We see you. We stand with you. We are deeply sorry that we did not know what you were enduring, and we carry the weight of that with us. Your bravery in speaking out has given voice to what many victims have feared to say, and we are grateful for your courage.”

The Chronicle and CNN first reported Friday in stories that were published just hours apart that Swalwell reportedly raped a member of his Castro Valley district office in 2019, when she was 21, and again in 2024, after she had left the office. Both times the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent. Three other women said Swalwell sent them unsolicited photos of his penis via Snapchat, a messaging app where photos disappear, and one ended up naked in his hotel room with little memory of how she had gotten there.

Since then, Swalwell’s support among organized labor, congressional allies and campaign donors has evaporated in the week since liberal influencers began posting vague accusations that Swalwell abused female staff and teasing forthcoming investigative articles.

Swalwell did not respond to requests for comment Sunday on the letter or an unrelated federal investigation into his allegedly employing a nanny who overstayed her visa.

He previously denied the accusations as “flat false” and his attorney Elias Dabaie said he was taking a brief absence from campaigning to spend time with his wife and three children. A campaign source told The California Post that Swalwell was staying in the Beverly Hills mansion of Stephen Cloobeck, a hotel magnate and Swalwell supporter, where Swalwell filmed a video denying the accusations.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is investigating the 2024 assault on his former staffer, which allegedly occurred in a New York City hotel room after a charity gala.

Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said through a spokesperson her office is investigating the 2019 incident, which reportedly occurred in a hotel room after the staffer met Swalwell for drinks at a Pleasanton steakhouse.

“These allegations are both deeply concerning and disturbing,” an office spokesperson said in an email. “At this time, our office is in the process of evaluating whether any alleged criminal conduct occurred within Alameda County. We will review and assess all available information to determine what further action can be taken.”

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