Eric Swalwell resigns from Congress over sex abuse allegations

california congressman Eric Swalwell has resigned from Congress after being accused by multiple women of sexual abuse and harassment.

“I deeply apologize to my family, staff and constituents for the errors of judgment I made in the past,” Swalwell wrote in a statement. byX Monday, April 13th. “I will fight the serious, false accusations made against me. However, I must accept responsibility and accept responsibility for the mistakes I have made.

The politician continued, “I am aware that there are attempts to impose an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. It is wrong to expel any member of Congress without due process within days of accusations being made. But it is also wrong for my constituents to distract me from my duties. That is why I plan to resign my seat in Congress. I will be working with my staff in the coming days to ensure that in my absence they are able to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th Congressional District.”

US Weekly Swalwell’s communications director has been contacted for comment.

Swalwell, 47, was accused of sexual abuse by a former employee in April. The woman, who was 21 when she was hired, claimed to the San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell attempted to pursue her romantically in 2019 while he was working at the district office in Castro Valley, California. She claimed that Swalwell sent her photos of his genitals via Snapchat and sought nude photos in return. The woman also accused Swalwell of rape.

After the woman’s accusations made headlines, others came forward with similar accusations. a plaintiff, Ellie Sammarcoclaims Swalwell offered to “share her resume” with other congressional offices before sending her “highly inappropriate” Snapchat messages. Other women requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Swalwell strongly Deny the accusation.

“These accusations are false and occurred on the eve of a gubernatorial front-runner election,” the politician said in a statement. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public as a prosecutor and a member of Congress and have always protected women.”

In addition to denying the accusations, Swalwell also apologized to his wife, Brittany Wattswhom he has been married to since 2016.

“I am not in any way suggesting to you that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made errors of judgment in the past,” he said in a social media video in April. “These mistakes were between my wife and I. I am deeply sorry to her that I put her in this situation.”

group Swalwell Employees A statement was also issued in response to the accusations.

“As leaders of Eric Swalwell’s team, we are alarmed by recent reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN,” they noted. “We stand with our former colleagues and the other women who have come forward. We believe you should stand with them, too. The conduct detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of public officials and a betrayal of the trust of all Californians.”

Swalwell was originally elected to Congress in 2012 and has represented multiple districts in Northern California. Swalwell attempted to run for president during the 2020 election, but ultimately dropped out due to low poll results.

Recently, Swalwell was leading the California gubernatorial race, but he put his Campaign paused In the midst of a scandal…

“I am suspending my campaign for governor,” he wrote in a statement. “To my family, staff, friends and supporters, I am deeply sorry for the errors of judgment I have made in the past. I will fight those serious, false accusations – but that is my fight, not the campaign’s fight.”