Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleRep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, has announced he will resign from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women.Swalwell, who has fiercely denied the allegations, wrote in a statement Monday that it’s “wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”The allegations against Swalwell were detailed in reports by CNN and The San Francisco Chronicle, leading to calls for his withdrawal from the California gubernatorial race, which he subsequently did. Swalwell has called the accusations false and vowed to fight them. Swalwell was a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for governor of California but many Democrats, including those who had endorsed him, called on him to exit the race after the allegations were published. The allegations led to the rescinding of endorsements, the stepping down of senior campaign officials, and an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office. In fullCalifornia Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress after sexual assault allegationsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

The top contender for California governor flatly denied the allegations as fellow Democrats called for him to drop out of the race.

The investigation comes after CNN reported a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her in 2024, though Swalwell has denied the woman’s account.