SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Donor Table, a statewide progressive donor network rooted in communities of color, issued a statement Monday calling for survivor-centered accountability after Congressman Eric Swalwell resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives and suspended his California gubernatorial campaign amid sexual assault allegations from multiple women.
California Donor Table is a 20-year-old organization that has raised more than $70 million to help elect more than 100 progressive candidates in California, providing funding, technical assistance and networking to organizations in communities of color. For the 2026 primaries, CDT has endorsed Tom Steyer for governor alongside a slate of other federal, state and regional candidates.
Ludovic Blain, CEO of California Donor Table, said the allegations carry the “utmost gravity” and that survivors must remain the central focus of the conversation.
“We stand in firm solidarity with those who have come forward, recognizing the immense courage it takes to speak out against a person in a significant position of power,” Blain said. “We also stand with those who have not or have yet to come forward, because the costs are too much to bear.”
Blain said Californians are “better off” now that Swalwell has left the gubernatorial race and will resign from Congress. He argued that public service is a privilege rooted in a sacred trust between a representative and the people, and that the gravity of the charges is incompatible with the ethical standards required of a gubernatorial candidate and sitting member of Congress, Blain said in the statement.
The allegations against Swalwell were first reported Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. A former congressional staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her on two occasions, in 2019 and 2024, when she was too intoxicated to consent, according to CNN. Three additional women described other misconduct to CNN, including unsolicited explicit messages and photographs. On Tuesday, a fifth woman came forward publicly at a news conference in Los Angeles, accusing Swalwell of drugging and raping her during an encounter in 2018, according to Al Jazeera.
Swalwell, 45, who had emerged as a leading contender in the crowded race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, suspended his campaign Sunday after a cascade of endorsement withdrawals from labor unions, congressional allies and senior Democratic leaders, according to Time. Sen. Adam Schiff, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and more than 50 former staffers called for his resignation, NPR reported.
On Monday, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee under his supervision. Hours later, Swalwell announced he would resign his seat representing California’s 14th Congressional District, according to CBS News. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has also opened a criminal investigation into the allegations.
Swalwell denied the “serious, false allegation” while acknowledging unspecified past mistakes in judgment, according to CBS News.
Blain said the moment demands continued accountability beyond Swalwell’s departure.
“While Congressman Eric Swalwell has stepped down, we must continue to believe and center survivors and hold those in power accountable,” Blain said. “The voters of California deserve leaders who govern with integrity, and the survivors of sexual violence deserve a culture that demands accountability without exception.”
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“Swalwell denied the “serious, false allegation” while acknowledging unspecified past mistakes in judgment, according to CBS News.”
Typical of [Swalwell] speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
“Sen. Adam Schiff, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and more than 50 former staffers called for his resignation, NPR reported.”
After Schiff had strongly endorsed him. The California Gubernatorial race was too crowded so someone had to be thrown to the lions.
“We do need to take a look inward as a party because it was an open secret,” said Hunt, the executive director of the youth group Gen Z for Change, referring to the Democratic Party. “Not necessarily that he was assaulting people but that he was a creep. That was well known.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/15/swalwell-allegations-democrats-california-rise/
So by ousting Swalwell the Democrats have now narrowed the field to the two leading candidates being staff abuser Katie Porter and open borders Tom Steyer.
Good luck with that.
Seems like the “moral” of this story is that you can get away with being elected to Congress with “skeletons in your closet” (to put it mildly), but not when you run for governor.
In general, it seems like it takes one accuser to decide to come forward, before others feel comfortable-enough to do so.
It is apparently a different standard of proof than what might occur in a courtroom, however. Not that it happened in this case, but it wouldn’t take much to derail a career based on something that never happened.
I recall Gary Condit, who was initially (somewhat?) suspected of the disappearance of one of his staff members (whom he was apparently having an affair with). The entire incident was essentially the end of his career.