Rumors about Eric Swalwell’s affairs have swirled through California’s political circles for years, but the indiscretions were largely ignored as the Bay Area congressman surged to the front of the 2026 governor’s race.
The whispered affairs — described by some political operatives as an “open secret” — failed to slow the consolidation of institutional support around Swalwell, as large labor unions and key figures in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orbit began aligning themselves with the ardent critic of President Trump.
But in the last week,Swalwell’s career has been decimated,and the governor’s race upended after women came forward with allegations ofrape, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct. Swalwell went from the top of the Democratic field last Friday to suspending his campaign, resigning from office, and becoming the focus of criminal investigations inNew YorkandLos Angeles.
A question many are now asking is how someone could have allegedly led such a sinister life —Swalwell denies any criminal activity— while receiving support from so many institutional political players.
The answer underscores a familiar pattern in California politics: cash is king.
“When you worship the almighty dollar, it’s easy to let rape allegations go by the wayside,” said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic political consultant in Los Angeles.
Among those in Newsom’s extended political network who engaged with or supported Swalwell were Bearstar Strategies partners Ace Smith, Sean Clegg and Juan Rodriguez, whose firm helped launch an independent expenditure committee backing him, according to reporting byPoliticoand theLos Angeles Times.
Another Newsom ally, Jim DeBoo, led a separate effort targeting progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, who’s dropped more than $100 million on the race and is now leading the pack among Democratic candidates.
Additional figures tied to Newsom’s political apparatus — including Courtni Pugh, Lindsey Cobia and Jason Elliott — had varying levels of involvement with Swalwell’s campaign before quickly distancing themselves as allegations surfaced.
“Everyone who worked on Eric Swalwell’s campaign should feel dirty and disgusted every time they look in the mirror,” Trujillo told The Post. “I hope they’re buying Pepto Bismol in bulk.”
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
