California’s powerful institutions supported Swalwell’s rise. Now they are facing questions

SACRAMENTO – Before it all came crashing down, Eric Swalwell appeared to be on the cusp of climbing to the top of the Democratic field in the California governor’s race.

Swalwell had just announced a national tour and aired his first ad. The former prosecutor and Dublin city councilor launched his campaign “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in November, the comfort zone of a politician who made a national name for himself by appearing on news shows attacking President Trump.

Influential forces in Sacramento had begun coalescing behind the then-Bay Area congressman, including some consultants and advisors close to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom disagreed, but the involvement of his colleagues won Swalwell’s trust.

Swalwell’s campaign quickly collapsed with allegations that he sexually assaulted an employee and behaved inappropriately with other women who had just started political careers. Swalwell denies these accusations but abandoned the race for the presidency and resigned from his position in the House.

The controversy over Swalwell’s rise and fall has left Democratic leaders facing questions about whether they were blind to his alleged behaviour.

His former allies in Congress are being asked if they knew about his behavior, which has been described as an open secret on Capitol Hill. Unions that supported Swalwell fled, and political advisers returned donations.

California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez, whose group endorsed Swalwell and three others in the race, said she confronted Swalwell more than a month ago after hearing rumors about sexism and illegal photos.

“You’re lying,” Gonzalez said. “He is a very talented politician who did not tell the truth even when asked directly.”

Although he was unknown in the greater California area, Swalwell, 45, was young and fresh in a field of candidates, many of whom were veteran politicians, when he entered the race.

A little over a week ago, his campaign was at its peak. His first national ad emphasized his hometown roots and the concerns Californians face, including the rising costs of his beloved donut shop in his hometown of Dublin. He presents new recommendations from state and county elected officials almost daily.

Former and current advisers close to Newsom have also been helping Swalwell’s campaign, multiple sources told The Times. Others who are associated with the governor also help the rivals.

Some Democrats in the race said the warnings about Swalwell should have been more closely investigated by powerful California politicians and interest groups that supported him.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, called him a “flash in the pan” – someone who lacked substance.

“People thought that because he was popular on television, maybe he had been vetted,” said Villaraigosa. “He was not tested.”

Gubernatorial candidates Katie Porter and Antonio Villaraigosa share a moment while participating in a candidate forum in Los Angeles on Jan. 10.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Swalwell’s entry into the race last fall came at a time when elected officials and interest group leaders in Sacramento were unimpressed with the field, especially after big-name Democrats including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla and State Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta had run past.

Steven Maviglio, a Democratic consultant based in Sacramento, said there is pressure to find “the perfect person” in a powerful government office.

“Democrats are looking for someone to fight Trump, and he fits the bill,” Maviglio said. “That was enough for most people.”

As with many members of California’s congressional delegation, Swalwell was a stranger to many Californians living outside of his Alameda County constituency, despite his light-hearted, strong social media presence.

He had never held public office when he was elected to Congress after a career that included serving on the Dublin City Council and working as a criminal prosecutor in Alameda County.

But he appeared close to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who chose him to be the impeachment manager in the case against President Trump in 2021.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addresses the crowd at the California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

At a forum in Washington this week, Rep. Pelosi rejected suggestions that Democrats should look beyond the allegations.

“There is none,” he said, when asked what allegations he heard about.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who served with Swalwell on the House Judiciary Committee and endorsed him, told MS NOW he felt betrayed and “sickened” by the allegations.

“My biggest feeling is that I am grateful that these women came forward,” said Schiff. “I’m thankful they did it when they did – it prevented our country from making a terrible mistake.”

Sara Azari, Swalwell’s lawyer, said in a statement that she denies all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment and will pursue “all legal avenues” against those who make these allegations.

“These allegations are false, false and extremely offensive – a calculated and blatant political operation designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent two decades serving the public,” Azari said.

Attorney Lisa Bloom arrives for a photo at a news conference where Lonna Drewes, walking, is seen with former Attorney Eric Swalwell, at a press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Drewes detailed an encounter in 2018 where she said Swalwell drugged and sexually assaulted her after giving her professional training.

(Myung J Chun/Los Angeles Times)

On Tuesday, Lonna Drewes accused Swalwell of drugging and raping her in 2018 while she was modeling, which is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Azari, in an interview with NewsNation, said about Drewes’ allegations: “Two consenting elders, which is ours, is not against the law.”

California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks declined to answer questions this week about whether the scandal is damaging the party’s credibility, saying the allegations are “clear to voters: [Swalwell] it’s not a viable option.”

In an interview with The Times, Hicks said the party relies on delegates to vet candidates before endorsement votes at the party convention. Although no gubernatorial candidate reached the required level of support to secure endorsement in the February caucus, Swalwell had the largest share by 24%.

Gonzalez, of the labor union, said she called Swalwell in the first week of March after several people contacted her about her sexual misconduct.

He described the awkward conversation – and his denial at the time. Nothing was true, he said. If there was anything bad he could find in his past, it would have been dug up by Trump and the environmentalists who followed him when he helped try to criticize the president, he said.

At the union’s caucus meeting, members raised several issues with Swalwell, including his request to live in Livermore, his involvement in non-union film production, and his ability to manage his finances.

The issue of sexual misconduct did not come up in the warrant, Gonzalez said.

“We were in a position, like many, to try to find out who this guy is that has all these red flags, but we’re being told by a lot of people that he’s picked on him — whether it’s people in Congress or people who don’t know him at home,” Gonzalez said.

Other institutional players also challenged. California Medical Assn. approved by Swalwell in early February. This group represents more than 50,000 doctors in the state and spends a lot of money on elections.

“It was definitely a positive thing that this is where it should be established,” Maviglio said.

California Medical Assn. spokeswoman Erin Mellon said the group met with the candidates and endorsed Swalwell “based on the information we have” at the time.

After this scene, Swalwell loved the attention. He began hanging out at the Grange, a favorite hotel bar in Sacramento for lawmakers and state representatives, trying to make connections, according to a source who met him there.

Months ago, he texted a California political consultant with questions about who should help his campaign. He asked about the well-known Bearstar Strategies firm, according to the text exchange, which was seen by The Times.

Swalwell wrote the text, “would you recommend that our IE go to them?” to the coordinator, a reference to “independent expenses,” which is an outside committee that raises money to support candidates but is barred from coordinating their campaigns.

Bearstar Strategies has finally launched an independent committee to support Swalwell, which in recent weeks has raised more than $7 million from the political committees of the California Medical Assn., DaVita and other medical industry groups, and Uber.

Antonio Villaraigosa, left, shakes hands with Tom Steyer at a gubernatorial rally in Sacramento on April 14, 2026.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Bearstar Strategies, whose members have long advised Newsom, is also providing media consultants to the committee running attack ads against environmentalist Tom Steyer, another contender in the race. Swalwell would benefit from the committee’s spending.

Jim DeBoo, a consultant and former Newsom chief of staff, is helping the anti-Steyer committee, which, according to multiple sources, has raised $14 million from real estate agents and utility industry groups. DeBoo did not respond to a request for comment, and a representative for Bearstar declined an interview request.

No one has said any of those advisers or people knew about Swalwell’s alleged behavior. Bearstar Strategies said in a statement last week that it has suspended all Swalwell activities related to private equity.

Jamie Court, president of the non-profit organization Consumer Watchdog, said institutional groups are supporting Swalwell because they think he can win and want to preserve the status quo in Sacramento.

“They chose the wrong guy,” said the Court.