Swalwell’s campaign chairman resigns and calls on him to drop out of California governor’s race
Congressman Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who was the chair of Eric Swalwell’s campaign for the governship of California, resigned from that role on Friday and called on Swalwell to drop out.
“Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” Gomez said in a statement responding to the San Francisco Chronicle report that a former staffer had accused Swalwell of sexual assault.
“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately,” Gomez wrote. “The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay.”
Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic former mayor of Los Angeles who has failed to gain traction in the race for the governor’s office, went further in his statement, calling for Swalwell to also resign from Congress.
“Today’s reporting on the horrific allegations that Eric Swalwell abused his position and repeatedly sexually assaulted a staffer is shocking and reprehensible,” Villaraigosa said. “Further, Eric Swalwell’s attempt to silence victims to save his campaign for Governor – a campaign he was unfit to enter given these allegations – is a shameful disgrace to our democracy.”
“Now that victims are finally being heard, it has become abundantly clear that Eric Swalwell must withdraw from the governor’s race and immediately resign from Congress,” the former mayor added. “In California, we believe women and no one is above the law.”
Key events
Closing summary
This concludes our coverage of US politics for the day, thanks for reading. Here are the latest developments:
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Congressman Eric Swalwell’s campaign to succeed Gavin Newsom as California’s governor imploded after he was accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked for the congressman in interviews with the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
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In response to the reports, and three more women alleging sexual misconduct by Swalwell, multiple staffers resigned from Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign, and leading California Democrats called on him to drop out of the race.
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Among those calling for Swalwell to end his campaign for California governor were the state’s lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis, the former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi, both of California’s Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, the other leading Democrats in the race, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer and former backers including Arizona senator Ruben Gallego and the powerful California Teachers Association.
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Cheyenne Hunt, a Democratic party activist and influencer with more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, who used her platform to spread accusations of sexual misconduct by Swalwell, called the Chronicle report just “the first of many”.
Katie Porter calls on Swalwell to resign from Congress and end his campaign for governor
Katie Porter, the former congresswoman fighting to make it into the top two in the June nonpartisan primary for California governor, released a statement calling on Eric Swalwell, a fellow Democrat, to drop out of the race and resign his seat in Congress over allegations by four women that he sexually assaulted or abused them.
“In light of the allegations of sexual assault, Eric Swalwell should resign from Congress and end his campaign for public office,” Porter wrote on social media Friday evening. “But those decisions do not absolve him of taking responsibility for his misconduct, especially when he has attempted to silence and retaliate against these victims.”
“These allegations merit full investigations, and these women deserve the right to pursue justice. Too often, men escape any consequence for sexual misconduct by stepping out of power,” Porter continued. “That is a first and necessary step towards justice because it limits the ability for further harm. I stand with these women as they seek justice.”
Newsom calls allegations against Swalwell ‘deeply troubling’
Gavin Newsom, the California governor who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, did not immediately join fellow senior Democrats in the state in calling for Eric Swalwell, a congressman, to drop out of the race to replace him, in the wake of accusations of sexual assault or misconduct from four women on Friday.
“As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously,” a spokesperson for the governor told reporters.
Newsom’s hesitation contrast with statements from his lieutentant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, the former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and both of California’s Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, who all called for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor to address the allegations.
Pelosi says she told Swalwell to drop out of California governor’s race
Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker and longtime Democratic powerbroker in California, said in a statement released on Friday that she has advised Eric Swalwell to end his campaign for governor to allow for a full investigation of the allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him made public on Friday by four women.
“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said.
“As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,” she added.
Trump viewed Artemis splashdown during $1m per person dinner with donors, White House says
A White House official told reporters traveling with Donald Trump, but kept away from him during a $1m per person donor diner to raise funds for his political action committee, that the president watched the splashdown of the Artemis II capsule on Friday evening on a TV that was wheeled into the room for the president and his MAGA Inc guests at the Trump Winery in Virginia.
House Democratic leadership calls for Swalwell to end his campaign for California governor and face investigation
The Democratic House leadership, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, whip Katherine Clark, and caucus chair Pete Aguilar, have released a statement calling on Eric Swalwell to abandon his bid to be California’s governor and face an investigation of allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and abused three other women.
“Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor,” the Democrats said. “This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously.”
”We commend the courageous women for sharing their experiences. In this and all circumstances, we must ensure that those who come forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment are heard and respected,” the statement continued. “All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable.”
Stephanie Kirchgaessner
Bard College’s president, Leon Botstein, told his staff at a meeting this week that there was no way he could have known that Jeffrey Epstein – who was a convicted sex offender during their interactions over the years – was actually “reprehensible” and predicted he would soon be cleared of any hint of impropriety about their relationship, according to sources who witnessed the remarks.
The liberal arts college’s board of trustees hired in February the white-shoe law firm WilmerHale to independently investigate communications between Epstein and Botstein.
Botstein has served as president of Bard, which is in New York state, for more than 50 years. He has said he cultivated a relationship with Epstein as a way to raise money for the school. While questions about Botstein’s relationship with Epstein have been swirling for years, the controversy reached a fever pitch earlier this year after the release of millions of “Epstein files” by the US Department of Justice, which revealed that the two regularly corresponded. Botstein has denied the two were friends, despite years of correspondence and in-person meetings, including a 2012 trip by Botstein to Epstein’s island.
In his comments to staff, sources told the Guardian, Botstein suggested words to the effect of “we live in an oligarchy” and that therefore people “cannot be expected to investigate or know the moral character of the people who can afford to donate money”.
Trump offers economic support to Hungary, if the nation votes for his ally Viktor Orbán
Days after dispatching his vice-president to Budapest to campaign for Hungary’s pro-Russia, anti-immigrant, conspiratorial and proudly “illiberal” prime minister, Viktor Orbán, Donald Trump launched a late effort to influence Sunday’s general election there in an even less subtle way: with money.
In a post on his own social media platform, the president wrote: “My Administration stands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our Great Allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it. We are excited to invest in the future Prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued Leadership!”
Powerful California teachers union withdraws support for Swalwell
The powerful California Teachers Association withdrew its endorsement of Eric Swalwell for governor on Friday, after the Democratic congressman was accused of sexual assault by a former staffer.
“The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell. We are immediately suspending our support. Our elected board will be meeting as soon as possible to follow our union’s democratic process to determine next steps,” the union said in a statement on its Instagram account.
Earlier in the day, the union had posted a celebration of Dolores Huerta, the teacher and union organizer Dolores Huerta, who revealed last month that her civil rights activist colleague Cesar Chavez had forced her to have sex with him in the 1960s.
A spokesperson for the California Medical Association told the New York Times the doctors group “takes these allegations extremely seriously” and have “convened an emergency meeting of our board” to consider withdrawing its endorsement of Swalwell.
Senator Adam Schiff withdraws endorsement of Swalwell and calls on him to leave California governor race
Adam Schiff, the California Democrat and former prosecutor, withdrew his endorsement of Eric Swalwell for California governor on Friday and urged him to drop our of the race.
“I have read the San Francisco Chronicle’s account and I am deeply distressed by its allegations,” Schiff wrote in a statement. “This woman was brave to come forward, and we should take her story seriously. I am withdrawing my endorsement immediately, and believe that he should withdraw from the race.”
Schiff was elected in 2024, after spending tens of millions of dollars to elevate Republican Steve Garvey during the nonpartisan primary which, under California’s election law, selects a top two, regardless of party, to face off in the autumn general election. Schiff helped Garvey into second place in the primary by portraying him in advertising as an acolyte of Donald Trump, attracting Republican voters, while Democrats Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who might have given Schiff a tougher race split the primary vote and finished outside the top two.
A similar dynamic is at work in this year’s California governor race, with the majority of votes divided among a large number of Democrats in recent polling that suggested the top two in the primary could both be a pair of Republicans with less than a third of the vote combined.
One of the lower-polling Democrats, former health secretary Xavier Becerra, also called on Swalwell to quite the race.
“These horrific allegations do not reflect the values of California, especially not someone who seeks to be its leader,” Becerra said in a statement. “Eric Swalwell should suspend his campaign and allow a clear process of accountability to play out.”
CNN reports four women have accused Eric Swalwell of sexual assault or misconduct
CNN has followed the San Francisco Chronicle in reporting that a former staffer has accused congressman Eric Swalwell of sexually assaulting, and adds that three more women also accused the Democrat running to be California’s governor of other kinds of sexual misconduct.
The former staffer, who recounted some of her allegations on camera, in silhouette, told CNN “that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the 2024 incident, which she said happened after she had stopped working in his office. “He didn’t stop.”
The woman told the broadcaster that was the second time Swalwell had nonconsensual sex with her while she was drunk. “In 2019, when she was still working for him, she said she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact,” CNN reported.
Three other women who spoke with CNN alleged sexual misconduct by the congressman, including unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos from Swalwell.
Swalwell’s campaign chairman resigns and calls on him to drop out of California governor’s race
Congressman Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who was the chair of Eric Swalwell’s campaign for the governship of California, resigned from that role on Friday and called on Swalwell to drop out.
“Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” Gomez said in a statement responding to the San Francisco Chronicle report that a former staffer had accused Swalwell of sexual assault.
“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately,” Gomez wrote. “The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay.”
Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic former mayor of Los Angeles who has failed to gain traction in the race for the governor’s office, went further in his statement, calling for Swalwell to also resign from Congress.
“Today’s reporting on the horrific allegations that Eric Swalwell abused his position and repeatedly sexually assaulted a staffer is shocking and reprehensible,” Villaraigosa said. “Further, Eric Swalwell’s attempt to silence victims to save his campaign for Governor – a campaign he was unfit to enter given these allegations – is a shameful disgrace to our democracy.”
“Now that victims are finally being heard, it has become abundantly clear that Eric Swalwell must withdraw from the governor’s race and immediately resign from Congress,” the former mayor added. “In California, we believe women and no one is above the law.”
‘I wished him luck’, Trump says of Vance’s efforts to negotiate an end to US-Israel war on Iran
On his way to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran over ending the conflict that started with a joint US-Israel attack six weeks ago, vice-president JD Vance told reporters earlier on Friday that he would be acting on the precise instructions of his boss, Donald Trump.
“We’re going to try to have a positive negotiation. The President gave us some pretty clear guidelines,” Vance said.
Speaking to reporters en route to Charlottesville, Virginia, on Friday for a dinner with Maga Inc, a political action committee established to support him, the president was asked what he told Vance before he left.
“Well, I wished him luck,” Trump replied. “He’s got a big thing, we’ll find out what’s going on.” The president then cast the talks as almost inconsequential, repeating his false claim that the US had already destroyed Iran’s military and could easily open the strait of Hormuz “with or without” Iran’s help.
“I think it’s going to go pretty quickly, and if it doesn’t well be able to finish it off- one way or the other, it’s going well,” Trump insisted, as global oil markets remain in chaos and Israel’s desire to prolong the conflict imperils the fragile ceasefire.
Senator Ruben Gallego apologizes for defending Swalwell and withdraws his endorsment
Ruben Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona who had defended Eric Swalwell on social media three days ago, expressed regret for doing so and withdrew his endorsement of the congressman in the race to be California’s governor.
On Tuesday, the same day that Swalwell’s Democratic rival Katie Porter mentioned viral allegations of sexual assault against Swalwell on CNN, Gallego wrote on X: “When you are in first place, is when they target you. Eric is a fighter and he will win the Governors race.”
After the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday that one former staffer had accused Swalwell of sexual assault, Gallego issued a retraction.
“I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting and I take it seriously,” Gallego wrote in a statement. “What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed. I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired. I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Swalwell, effective immediately.”
‘This is the beginning of the end for Eric Swalwell’, gen-Z influencer Cheyenne Hunt says
Cheyenne Hunt, a lawyer, Democratic party activist and political influencer with more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, who has used her platform to spread accusations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell, called the San Francisco Chronicle report on Friday, that a former staffer accused the congressman of sexually assaulting her, “the first of many”.
In a video post captioned: “This is the beginning of the end for Eric Swalwell,” Hunt said: “I am incredibly proud of every single one of these women… who has trusted me with their stories… and started this process of holding this man accountable.”
“The difference between us and Maga,” Hunt added, “is that we hold our own accountable. No more predators in power, from either party – period. It’s time to drop out, Eric Swalwell.”
Swalwell’s rivals in California governor’s race call on him to drop out over sexual assault allegation
Democrat Eric Swalwell’s leading rivals in the race to be California’s governor, both Democrats and Republicans, called on him to drop out of the race after a former staffer told the San Francisco Chronicle the congressman had sexually assaulted her.
Steve Hilton, the Republican former Fox News host endorsed by Donald Trump, responded with sarcasm by writing “Totally agree” above a tweet posted by Swalwell in 2019, which read “Support survivors. Believe survivors. We are with you.”
Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democrat, wrote: “I commend the brave former staffer who came forward with her story about Eric Swalwell. Speaking out is never easy, and her account must be taken seriously. At a moment like this, we must make sure that women are heard, and justice is pursued.”
Katie Porter, a former Democratic congresswoman who was the early frontrunner in the governor’s race before video of her losing her temper went viral, suggested in a statement that more than one woman had accused Swalwell of misconduct. “The allegations against Congressman Swalwell are horrifying. I’m thinking of the courageous women who have come forward to share their stories. We believe you and we stand with you,” Porter wrote.
Earlier this week, Porter brought up viral rumors of sexual assault against Swalwell spreading online in an interview with CNN, in which she said: “With regard to Congressman Swalwell, I have seen allegations coming from women staffers. They are very, very troubling allegations. It is those women’s stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope that they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so.
“I have seen the allegations,” she added. “I have not spoken to any women who are saying that they’re going to come forward, but again, our focus here ought to be on protecting these victims, if they have been victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, we ought to be making sure they feel safe and comfortable speaking up.”
The chorus of viral allegations ahead of the Chronicle’s report was loud enough that Swalwell was asked about them after a town hall in Sacramento on Tuesday.
“No, no, it’s false,” Swalwell told a local TV reporter who asked him if he had “ever behaved inappropriately with female staffers”.
Republican Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco wrote: “I’m calling on Eric Swalwell to immediately rescind any NDA he has put anyone under.” Rumors that Swalwell had forced staffers to sign non-disclosure agreements have been circulating online, despite the congressman’s adamant denial.
Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose who is running for governor as a moderate Democrat and a tech industry ally opposed to a billionaires’ tax, responded to the Chronicle report by writing on X: “To the survivor who risked everything to come forward – I believe you. To the Democratic Party – you’d better hold him accountable. If we don’t, we have no credibility asking anyone else to do the same. To @ericswalwell – drop out.”
Even Ian Calderon, a former majority leader of the California state assembly who suspended his own campaign for governor last month and endorsed Swalwell, called on him to drop out of the race and resign from Congress.
“The allegations against Eric Swalwell are deeply disturbing and troubling. My thoughts are with anyone affected, and I unequivocally support all survivors seeking justice and accountability,” Calderon wrote on social media. “Eric Swalwell must immediately suspend his campaign and resign from Congress.”
Eric Swalwell accused of sexual assault by former staffer – report
Democrat Eric Swalwell’s campaign to succeed Gavin Newsom as California’s governor was cast in doubt on Friday when he was accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked for the congressman for nearly two years and described the abuse to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Just before the accusation was made public, multiple staffers resigned from Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign, Politico reports.
According to the Chronicle, the woman said she had sexual encounters with Swalwell while he was her boss “and alleged he twice sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent”.
Swalwell denied the woman’s accusations in a statement provided to the Chronicle on Friday:
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
Comer says he already planned to ask survivors of Epstein’s abuse to testify to Congress before Melania Trump’s intervention
James Comer, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, told Fox News on Friday he had already been planning to invite survivors of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender who socialized with Donald Trump for nearly two decades, to testify to Congress before Melania Trump endorsed the idea in a surprise statement on Thursday.
“I’ve always planned on having hearings with the victims,” Comer said in an interview on Friday. “My attorneys on the oversight committee have been communicating on a constant basis for months with the attorneys representing Epstein victims.”
“There are some victims who are willing to come in. Most victims aren’t, and I completely understand that,” the Kentucky congressman added. “But we have always planned on having a hearing with Epstein victims once the depositions have been completed. So we have still got some more high-profile men that are coming in. Then, I agree with the first lady: we will have hearings.”
In a separate interview with the rightwing network Newsmax, Comer rejected calls from Democrats to compel the first lady to testify to the committee about Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, both of whom she was photographed socializing during the time the two were charged with abusing minors.
As our colleague Anna Betts reports, More than a dozen Epstein survivors accused the first lady of “shifting the burden” on to them, and away from her husband’s justice department, by calling on Congress to hold public hearings.
“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony,” said a group of 13 people and the brother and sister of the late Virginia Giuffre, who was one of the most vocal Epstein accusers, in a statement. “Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility not justice.”
Here’s a recap of the day so far
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More than a dozen survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse have accused Melania Trump of “shifting the burden” on to them after she called on Congress to hold public hearings with victims of Epstein’s abuse. Their response came after the first lady delivered a surprise statement in which she denied that she ever had a relationship with Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
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US inflation surged in March, according to the latest consumer price index (CPI) report released on Friday. Overall prices are now up by 3.3% compared to a year ago, and up by 0.9% since February 2026. Democrats blasted the Trump administration in response to today’s data. “Today’s data shows that Trump’s war with Iran has driven up costs and delivered the worst inflation reading in nearly two years,” said Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member on the Senate banking committee.
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Donald Trump has said that the Iranians “have no cards” and the only reason they are alive “is to negotiate”. It follows Trump giving an interview to the New York Post, in which he said the US is loading its warships with the “best weapons” in case talks with Tehran – set to begin in Islamabad tomorrow – fail.
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The Trump administration on Friday released new renderings of the triumphal arch the president wants to install in Memorial Circle at the foot of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The mock-up was submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), who are next due to meet on 16 April to consider the proposal. Trump dismissed all fired all six commissioners last year and replaced them with loyalists. The panel is also one of two bodies responsible for signing off on his proposed White House ballroom, a project a federal judge blocked last month.
