‘It’s false’: Swalwell denies misconduct claims levied by left-leaning influencers
Rep. Eric Swalwell forcefully denied allegations of sexual misconduct involving staffers on Tuesday, suggesting the accusations on social media emanating from a handful of Democrat-aligned influencers and consultants were connected to a broader effort to thwart his bid for governor.
The claims first appeared on social media last month but have become more prominent on X and Instagram in recent days, where they’ve often been embraced by conservatives. The left-leaning influencers and consultants, including Gen Z for Change director Cheyenne Hunt and education influencer Arielle Fodor, have been vague about the claims but say they’ve talked to young, female staffers who experienced harassment, manipulation or abuse from Swalwell but have been reluctant to come forward because they signed non-disclosure agreements or feared legal repercussions.
In an X post Tuesday, Hunt said she and alleged victims are working with a “legal counsel and the investigative team of a highly reputable outlet to ensure that those stories are told the right way.”
The Bee has not verified the claims, and speaking to reporters after a Sacramento town hall Tuesday, Swalwell, D-Dublin, was unequivocal: “It’s false,” he said. The seven-term congressional representative said his office had never used NDAs and that he’d never had a relationship with a staffer.
Swalwell also questioned the timing of the claims.
“I will just take stock that, look, we’re 27 days before an election starts,” Swalwell said, referring to the start of early voting ahead of the June 2 primary.
Swalwell, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, connected the accusations to efforts by the Trump administration to prosecute or embarrass the former prosecutor. He noted Bill Pulte, one of Trump’s top housing officials, wrote a letter recommending prosecutors investigate the Democrat for mortgage fraud roughly ten days before Swalwell launched his gubernatorial bid — one of several similar claims made by Pulte that have yet to hold up in court.
More recently, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered bureau agents to prepare to release files from a decade-old investigation into Swalwell’s connections with a suspected Chinese intelligence agent, the Washington Post reported last month, despite a lack of evidence of wrongdoing.
“We expect there will be something new from this president or wherever it comes from in the next couple weeks,” Swalwell said Tuesday. “That’s just the nature of campaigns.”
Swalwell’s campaign spokesperson, Micah Beasley, went farther in a statement distributed to reporters earlier Tuesday.
“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Beasley said. “In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell’s Congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever. In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever.”
Fodor, the education influencer better known on social media Mrs. Frazzled, said in an email Tuesday that the Swalwell campaign’s response was insulting.
“From the beginning, not a single woman who has shared this information with me, come forward with an allegation, or has pursued justice has been aligned with MAGA or Republicans in any way shape or form,” Fodor said. “And that accusation is not only a cop-out, but a slap in the face to these brave women and I think these statements will haunt Swalwell and his campaign.”
A California Democratic Party poll released Tuesday showed Swalwell and billionaire Tom Steyer virtually tied as the top polling Democrats, drawing support from 12% and 11% of voters respectively. They were eclipsed by Republicans Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, both of whom polled at 14%.
The accusations have made a dent on prediction markets like Kalshi, where Swalwell’s odds of winning the governor’s race dipped to 39% on Tuesday night, down from a high of nearly 73% on March 20.
The topic didn’t come up from the largely enthusiastic crowd of at least 850 people at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
Swalwell pitched himself as a “fighter-protector” against President Donald Trump who would usher in a “new California” as governor, asking voters for his vote to run what he joked was the “greatest country in the world.”
The Democrat vowed to protect vulnerable Californians from the Trump administration, expedite housing development, allow state workers to telework and levy a tax on employers who don’t provide health insurance to workers.
“I want to be a get-shit-done governor,” Swalwell said.
Swalwell drew heavily from his time in Congress, name-checking his time serving alongside Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, his votes against repealing the Affordable Care Act and his criticism of Trump.
Swalwell became a mainstay on cable news during Trump’s first term and helped manage House Democrats’ second impeachment trial, later suing Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., and other allies for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot in the U.S. Capitol.
The Democrat told the Sacramento audience he supported abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency “from the root to the branch,” vowing to revoke driver’s licenses for agents who refused to take off masks and making them “unhireable” in California.
“I will not let this president define us,” Swalwell said. “We’re Californians. We will get through this. We will protect our neighbors, especially our most vulnerable, but he’s not going to define us.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 4:35 AM.
