Swalwell Attorney Questions Motives in Sexual Misconduct Claims

An attorney representing Rep. Eric Swalwell is pushing back hard on multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations, questioning what he called the credibility and timing of the claims. The exchange played out during a tense Saturday morning interview, with the conversation turning quickly from details of the allegations to what they might mean politically.

Elias Dabaie, representing the California Democrat and gubernatorial candidate, told Misryoum that he was “assessing the credibility of the claims that are being made, the timing of the allegations,” adding that it “raises eyebrows.” He pointed to when the allegations surfaced—about 25 days out from the California governor’s election.

The allegations involve a former Swalwell staffer, whose claims were first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle. She said that in 2019, when she was 21 and working for him, Swalwell sent her images of his genitals and asked for nudes in return. She also claimed that on at least two occasions he sexually assaulted her while she was too drunk to consent.

Misryoum newsroom reported that additional accusations came from three women who’d connected with Swalwell on social media, in an article published shortly after the earlier report. Swalwell has denied the claims. During the interview, Misryoum editorial desk noted, Dabaie doubled down when he was pressed on whether he believes all the accusers are lying.

Dabaie said the allegations came from women describing events that took place “many years ago,” then argued that “the evidence I’ve seen” shows some of the women reached out to Swalwell multiple times after the alleged incidents. He described them as “wishing him nothing but the best,” supporting his campaign, saying they’d vote for him for governor, asking for references for jobs, and attending social events with him. “So I’m not surprised to see…” he began, before the interview cut in from Misryoum newsroom reported prompts and interruptions.

The host challenged the attorney directly, saying there is a “long history” and “a lot of evidence” from sexual assault experts indicating victims often return to perpetrators. The attorney’s response didn’t land, and the disagreement stayed sharp. At one point, the interviewer interjected that the attorney’s theory about Democratic party strategy “doesn’t make any sense,” pointing to people endorsing Swalwell who also urged him to stay in or drop out—“These are people who endorsed him. These are some of his best friends in Congress.”

Misryoum editorial team noted that Dabaie said Swalwell intends to continue his campaign for governor, despite backlash from members of his own party who have called on him to end his bid. He suggested the defections may reflect “political machinations” behind the scenes, framing it as a rush to judgment rather than an organized push for accountability. The exchange ended with Dabaie characterizing the push as an “example of a rush to judgment,” and the conversation trailing off into questions about what motivations could be driving former supporters—though, honestly, it was the kind of moment where you could feel the room tighten, like someone had turned the volume down and nobody wanted to look away.

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