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Eric Swalwell’s political implosion happened stunningly quick.
One day, he was the Democratic front-runner in the governor’s race as I wrote in a post two weeks ago and four days after a detailed San Francisco Chronicle article about a former staffer detailing two rape allegations coupled with a CNN report about three other women revealing inappropriate behavior — he had not only withdrawn from the governor’s race, but resigned from his seat in Congress.
The resignation halts an ethics committee investigation into his conduct, but he’s far from putting his alleged behavior behind him.
He continues to deny the allegations in videos and has not opened himself up for a press conference. Not surprising, given that his biggest hurdles are likely to be the potential criminal cases in New York City (the site of one encounter) and West Los Angeles, where a second one took place with another woman who came forward on Tuesday. Her attorney said she would file a complaint after the press conference.
Numerous outlets have reported that Swalwell’s behavior was “an open secret” but was allowed to continue. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who took Swalwell under her wing when he was new and gave him prime committee assignments, declared Saturday that he must stop his gubernatorial campaign. In a television interview later, she declared she knew nothing about it. Really?
What was striking to me was how quickly his allies — many long-time — jumped away from his candidacy and staff. Perhaps most damning was a letter signed by 55 former staffers such as former Dublin mayor and mentor Tim Sbranti, former staffer Dean Wallace and former media rep Josh Richman among others. He also lost the endorsements of Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla as well as the powerful California Teachers Association and the Service Employees International Union, major funders.
Swalwell is a married father of three and now will have to focus on dealing with the potential criminal charges. He also will need to figure out a professional path forward assuming he is not behind bars. In contrast to most who leave Congress after seven terms, he will not have a cushy law firm or lobbying company job available. Who would want to touch him?
He also likely will need shift to what finance advisor Dave Ramsey calls the rice and beans diet to save money. Thanks to the taxpayers and his campaign donors, he’s been living well and likely well beyond his means. One pundit reported seeing the family on a coast-to-coast flight in the front of the plane in lie-flat seats — those do not come cheap.
The Sacramento Bee dug into his financial disclosure documents from 2021-24. They showed that Swalwell and his wife, Brittany, grossed an average of $440,000 during that time, but still tapped retirement accounts ($145,000 over two years), delayed paying federal taxes (Swalwell had almost no tax withheld from his congressional salary) and owed significant credit card bills. They also tapped into campaign funds to pay for child care, $118,000 in one year alone. Questions also have been raised about the immigration status of their nanny.
They reported owing between $15,000-$50,000 to two different credit card companies. Swalwell, 20 years after graduating from law school, still owed between $50,000-$100,000 in student loans. The couple owns a $1.2 million home in Washington D.C. and rents a room in a Livermore house presumably to establish residence in his former district.
So, the family will face financial hurdles as well as emotional hurdles (one of the alleged rapes took place when Brittany was pregnant). Swalwell needs to pay the piper, but I feel sorry for his wife and children, who also are victims in his sordid situation.
