Did the Media Miss the Eric Swalwell Story?

Last week, former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D–Calif.) was a high-profile member of Congress (the sort of anti-Trump #Resistance figure who appeared regularly on MSNOW) and the leading Democratic candidate to be the next governor of California. Today, he’s a disgraced ex-candidate and ex-congressman.

Swalwell has quit both jobs following numerous sexual misconduct claims reported on by the San Francisco Chronicle and also CNN. Five women have alleged varying levels of improper behavior: The most serious accusation, made by Lonna Drewes, involves rape. She says that Swalwell lured her to his hotel room and choked her while sexually assaulting her. For his part, Swalwell has tacitly confessed to infidelity but denies that he forced himself on anyone.

“These accusations of sexual assault are flat false,” he said. “I will fight them with everything I have.”

Given all this, Swalwell’s resignation seems appropriate, though I would remind everyone that it is difficult to parse the truth of sexual misconduct accusations that surface years after the fact. Alleged victims deserve to be heard and respected, not automatically believed. Numerous men in politics have been accused of long-ago misdeeds that are impossible to properly vet and therefore mostly ignored—including former President Joe Biden, whose campaign was hardly derailed by an accusation from ex-staffer Tara Reade 30 years after the fact.

Moreover, Swalwell’s exit from Congress was prompted by the fact that his colleagues had planned to expel him over the allegations. While it’s hardly a tragedy when politicians lose their jobs (I’m all in favor of throw the bums out!), I am very reluctant to endorse the idea that a congressman should be tossed over unproven accusations contrary to basic norms of fairness and due process. Swalwell’s constituents chose him to be their guy, and I generally think that it’s the voters’ responsibility to decide who represents them in Congress, not other legislators.

I say that as someone who finds Swalwell a fairly ridiculous and gullible political figure and a terrible choice for governor of California. The good news for Democrats is that they have numerous other choices: far-left billionaire Tom Steyer, former Rep. Katie Porter (who is herself accused of some nasty behavior), the comparatively moderate San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and others. The bad news for Democrats is that currently the two highest polling candidates are both Republicans, which could actually result in the Democrats getting shut out of the general election. Additional consolidation is clearly necessary.

Which brings me to my next question, and one I’ve seen various conservatives asking on social media this week: Why now? At first blush, it does seem rather strange that the accusations against Swalwell would take so long to come out. CNN’s Brian Stelter described the Swalwell story as a “testament to the power of investigative reporting,” and there’s some truth to that. The Chronicle and CNN reporters did a great job, but still. Swalwell has been a major national Democratic figure for years. He even ran for president in 2020!

Eric Swalwell ending his bid for California governor is, among other things, a testament to the power of investigative reporting pic.twitter.com/4xzUg944dt

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 13, 2026

Additionally, he’s been a constant fixture on progressive and mainstream media programs. Per usual, now that the story is out there, one encounters all sorts of Democratic staffers, politicos, and media figures whispering that they had heard the gossip about him for years. It takes a lot of work for a media reporter to hit publish on a story that contains such weighty accusations, but I find it strange that no one tried back in 2020, particularly with #MeToo still being a major topic of interest for the media at the time.

That said, conservatives inclined to complain about this might consider whether their own media institutions also missed the story. After all, there was nothing stopping them from digging into it, but that means investing in real reporting talent, not just clickbait and hot takes.

I discuss Swalwell’s exit with Amber Duke. Also, on Freed Up, Christian Britschgi challenges me to guess: death metal album or military operation? Play along!

I finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which I did not enjoy, and have returned to Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series. Next up: Pocketful of Rye.