Eric Swalwell was knifed by the party that long sheltered him

For years, the Democratic establishment appeared to have known enough about Eric Swalwell to worry, whisper and warn. But not enough, apparently, to do anything.

As people recount it now, allegations about his behavior toward women have long circulated among Hill staff, California Democrats, Alameda County political figures, and reporters — some dating back to 2013, when he was first elected to Congress — yet none of this ever materialized into actual consequences for the now-disgraced former lawmaker.

Swalwell cultivated allies in Congress and fashioned himself into a minor Democratic star, a darling moralist of the #MeToo era who was entrusted by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with helping lead Donald Trump’s second impeachment in 2021. In 2016, Swalwell’s fellow Democrats crowned him the “Snapchat King of Congress,” a title meant to capture his ability to relate with young people. All the while, stories about his own conduct circulated widely enough that, by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) recent telling, “Every member in Congress [knew] not to let any young staffer get around Swalwell or Matt Gaetz.”

Last Friday, four women came forward with sexual assault allegations in what appeared to be a coordinated release. Within a day, his campaign went from a haze of rumor to an outright collapse. He suspended his bid for governor and on Monday resigned from Congress.

This looks very much like an act of intra-party political........

© The Hill