Defense attorney Sara Azari, representing former Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, forcefully rejected multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations against her client on Wednesday, framing them as a coordinated "political hit job" intended to derail his campaign for California governor. Swalwell suspended that campaign on Sunday and resigned from the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Allegations and Immediate Fallout
Swalwell faces investigations by district attorneys in Manhattan and Los Angeles. The allegations, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, include claims from five women. They involve accusations of sexual assault against a former aide on two occasions, sending unsolicited explicit messages and photos to three other women, and separate misconduct claims from a fifth accuser. At a press conference Tuesday, former model Lonna Drewes alleged Swalwell drugged, choked, and raped her in a 2018 hotel incident.
"If the timing seems conspicuous, it's because this is no coincidence," Azari stated during an appearance on NewsNation. "This is being done as a political hit job on the eve of a governor's race in California where he was leading." She urged the public to avoid a "trial in the court of public opinion" and reserve judgment until legal proceedings conclude.
Accusers and Defense Counterclaims
Two of the accusers, Ally Sammarco and another woman, denied in a CBS News interview that they knew each other beforehand or were part of any operation to force Swalwell from office. "I didn't know any of the other women. We got connected through this process," Sammarco said.
Azari, while stating she did not "dispute the severity of what is being alleged," drew a sharp legal distinction. "The issue we're talking about is whether it was unconsensual sex, that is, criminal sex," she argued. "Two adults consenting, which is our position, is not against the law. Regret is not rape." The latter remark sparked immediate criticism online.
Swalwell has denied the allegations as "flat false" while acknowledging unspecified "mistakes in judgment." The political consequences were swift: his gubernatorial campaign lost two co-chairs and several key endorsements before he ended his bid. His resignation from Congress followed mounting calls for his expulsion, a situation that highlights how constitutional checks and political norms are being tested by scandal.
Legal and Political Repercussions
Azari characterized Swalwell's resignation as "the right thing to do," arguing it showed accountability and recognized he could not properly defend himself against serious allegations while serving constituents. The fallout continues to ripple through the Democratic caucus, as party leadership prepares to address the vacancy amid other legislative priorities.
Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers have seized on the scandal. Representative Lauren Boebert has called for the revocation of Swalwell's congressional pension, linking it to another recent resignation. The case unfolds as the nation's legal institutions face heightened scrutiny, reminiscent of recent debates where Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson criticized the Court's 'shadow docket' as corrosive to public trust.
The allegations and Swalwell's rapid political collapse mark a dramatic turn for a figure once seen as a frontrunner in the crowded field to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom. With formal investigations ongoing in two major jurisdictions, the legal process, rather than the campaign trail, will now define Swalwell's immediate future.
