Swalwell Staffers In Unsigned Statement: ‘we’re Horrified’ By Accusations

One day after top advisers to Eric Swalwell abandoned his campaign, staffers from his congressional office and campaign released an unsigned statement Saturday expressing support for women who came forward, saying “any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell.”

“We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward,” the statement reads. “We believe you should stand with them, too. The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians.”

The statement was provided to POLITICO by a senior staffer with Swalwell’s campaign who was granted anonymity because they feared reprisal for speaking out. They attributed it to more than a dozen unnamed staffers in both his campaign and congressional office. It comes after at least four departures Friday from the lawmaker’s campaign for California governor, which has been in a tailspin since the accusations surfaced.

The unsigned statement expresses support for the women who have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct and horror at the allegations detailed Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, including from a former staffer who alleges he sexually assaulted her twice while she was too drunk to consent. POLITICO did not independently verify the reports.

The unsigned statement reads, “As leaders of teams working for Eric Swalwell, we’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN."

Swalwell, a lawmaker from the Bay Area, said he would fight what he called “flat false” allegations of sexual assault and remain in the race for California govenor. His attorney, Elias Dabaie, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the staffers’ statement.

However, the unidentified staffers sought to defend those staying on during what they described as a transition period to ensure continuity of constituent services, noting “we lead teams who need guidance and stability now, more than ever.”

They said that if they remain in their jobs it would be, in part, to support junior staff who cannot “immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk or consequence,” stressing, “our responsibility now is to them.”

Swalwell, in video posted on social media Friday, denied allegations of sexual assault, while apologizing to his wife for unspecified “mistakes” in his past.

“They are absolutely false,” Swalwell said in the video. “They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

Dabaie told CNN on Friday that his client “intends to continue his campaign,” while saying it’s “not clear” when he might return to the trail. Swalwell has said he intends to spend time with family and friends this weekend.

But Swalwell’s campaign suspended fundraising via the platform ActBlue on Friday. A spokesperson for ActBlue confirmed that the campaign, not the website, had deactivated the page and directed questions to Swalwell’s campaign, which did not respond to a question about his fundraising.

Many prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, called on Swalwell to drop out of the governor’s race on Friday.

On Saturday, the executive council of the powerful California Labor Federation said it had voted unanimously to withdraw its support for Swalwell. Lorena Gonzalez, head of the labor federation, said, "Ultimately, our duty is to serve California’s workers, not any politician.”

The leadership of SEIU California also voted to yank its support and urged Swalwell to "immediately" end his campaign. The union added, “Every person who stands up to power and speaks out about abuse is helping to create safer workplaces and a safer society for all.”