The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into multiple sexual assault allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democrat who announced Monday he would resign his congressional seat rather than face an expulsion vote. A source familiar with the matter confirmed the federal probe to Fox News Digital, which reported that five different women have accused Swalwell of sexual assault and harassment over the last several years.
Swalwell’s resignation took effect Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern, Just The News reported, confirming the House formally processed his departure. The speed of his exit, days, not weeks, tells you everything about how fast the ground collapsed beneath him.
The DOJ probe sits atop a growing pile of investigations. District attorneys in both Los Angeles and New York have launched their own inquiries. The House Ethics Committee opened a separate investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, as AP News reported. That is three investigative tracks, federal, local, and congressional, running simultaneously against a sitting member of Congress.
Five women have come forward within the last few weeks. Among them is Lonna Drewes, who alleged that Swalwell drugged and sexually assaulted her during a 2018 encounter after he offered her professional mentorship. Drewes appeared at an April 14, 2026, news briefing in Beverly Hills alongside attorney Lisa Bloom.
A former staffer accused Swalwell of raping her twice, the Washington Examiner reported. Three other women told CNN he sent unsolicited nude photos and graphic messages. The pattern described by the accusers spans years and crosses the line from inappropriate conduct into alleged felony behavior.
More than 50 of Swalwell’s own former staffers signed an open letter calling the allegations “serious, credible, and demand accountability,” as Breitbart reported. When your own people put their names on a letter like that, the political math is finished.
Swalwell’s public statements tried to split the difference between contrition and defiance. He denied the most serious allegations while acknowledging unspecified personal failings. In a statement posted to social media, he said:
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.”
He followed that with a second statement that attempted to draw a line between what he called false claims and what he was willing to own:
“I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
What those “mistakes” were, exactly, Swalwell did not say. The gap between admitting “mistakes in judgment” and denying sexual assault is wide enough to drive a federal investigation through, and that is precisely what appears to be happening.
Swalwell also cited the looming expulsion effort as part of his calculus for stepping down. He framed his resignation as a matter of principle, not guilt:
“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
Before the dam broke, Swalwell’s team tried a different approach. Earlier this week, his spokesperson Micah Beasley spoke to the New York Post and dismissed the accusations as a political hit job:
“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race.”
That statement aged poorly. Within days, Swalwell went from calling the allegations a conspiracy theory to resigning from Congress. The pivot from “false, outrageous rumor” to “mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past” happened so fast it could give you whiplash.
Swalwell had been running for governor of California. He suspended that campaign after the allegations surfaced. He first became a member of the House in 2013 after serving as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Before that, he was a city councilmember in Dublin, California, starting in 2010.
The irony of a former prosecutor now facing a DOJ investigation is not lost on anyone who has followed Swalwell’s career. He built his public brand on accountability and oversight. He sat on the House Intelligence Committee. He lectured the country about the rule of law during impeachment proceedings. Now the investigative apparatus is pointed at him.
The sexual assault probe is not the only federal investigation circling Swalwell. Fox News Digital also reported that nearly $90,000 in campaign funds were allegedly used to pay an undocumented nanny, a claim that has drawn separate federal scrutiny. The source and current status of that inquiry remain unclear from available reporting, but the combination of allegations paints a picture of a congressman whose conduct may have been far more reckless than voters knew.
The House Ethics Committee investigation adds another layer. That probe is specifically examining whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward a subordinate employee, a question with both legal and institutional dimensions. Congressional offices operate with enormous power imbalances between members and staff. If the Ethics Committee finds credible evidence of misconduct involving a staffer, the implications extend beyond Swalwell to how Congress polices itself.
Swalwell is not the only member of Congress caught in this moment. Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales also resigned after facing sexual misconduct allegations, with his departure set to take effect at midnight on the same day Swalwell’s became official. The bipartisan nature of the fallout suggests the current political environment has little tolerance for these allegations regardless of party, a development that taxpayers and voters should welcome.
The speed of Swalwell’s collapse is worth noting. Within the last few weeks, the allegations emerged. Within days, bipartisan pressure mounted. Some House Republicans prepared an expulsion push. Democrats, too, began distancing themselves. More than 50 former staffers publicly broke with their old boss.
Senior Democratic figures have scrambled to manage the fallout. The political distancing from Swalwell has been swift and telling, the kind of rapid abandonment that happens when a party decides someone is no longer useful.
Swalwell’s resignation removes the immediate question of expulsion but does nothing to resolve the legal investigations. The DOJ probe, the two district attorney inquiries, and the Ethics Committee review will continue regardless of whether Swalwell holds a congressional seat. Leaving office does not make a federal investigation go away.
Much remains unknown. Which specific DOJ office is running the investigation? What statutes are under review? Have any of the five accusers cooperated with federal investigators? Will the Los Angeles or New York district attorneys pursue charges? These questions will shape whether the Swalwell matter ends with a resignation or escalates into something far more consequential.
There is also the matter of how the DOJ handles politically sensitive cases involving elected officials. The department’s track record on that front has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. Whether this investigation proceeds with the rigor and independence it demands will say as much about the Justice Department as it does about Swalwell.
For now, the facts are plain enough. Five women made accusations. Three separate investigative bodies opened probes. Swalwell’s own former staff called the allegations credible. And the congressman who once lectured the nation about accountability chose to leave town rather than face the vote.
Accountability, it turns out, looks a lot different from the other side of the lectern.
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