Eric Swalwell's fall: sexual assault allegations, resignation and FBI scrutiny
Gone quiet · last story Sep 1
What this arc covers
The allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell in 2026: the rumors his campaign denied in April, a woman's accusation that he sexually assaulted her, the suspension of his campaign for California governor and his resignation from Congress, the House Ethics and Justice Department investigations, his lawyers' demand that the FBI not release its old investigative file on him and the FBI documents on his past contacts with a woman known as Fang Fang reported in August, the FBI search of his home and his stop by agents at San Francisco airport, and the special election that Aisha Wahab won for his seat.
Earliest story we hold Mar 31, 2026 · 13 stories · 112 independent sources (counted once each) · 154 days
Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning
Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below
- Apr 10 – 15A new accuser says Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her62 articles · 30 independent sources
- Apr 10Former staffer accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexually assaulting her while she was intoxicated
- Apr 12Did Eric Swalwell Accidentally Prove He's Guilty of Sexual Assault?
- Apr 11 – 13Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor after being accused of sexual assault93 articles · 45 independent sources
- Apr 12 – 14Eric Swalwell to Resign from Congress Following Sex Assault Allegations101 articles · 50 independent sources
- Aug 19 – 21Democrat Aisha Wahab wins the special election for Eric Swalwell’s former California district36 articles · 29 independent sources
- Aug 20 – 24FBI raids Eric Swalwell’s home amid sexual assault claims inquiry – report89 articles · 63 independent sources
Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side
LeftCenterRight
Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.
Every week as a table
| Week of | Left | Center | Right | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2026 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Apr 6, 2026 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 84 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 20 | 28 | 17 | 228 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 10 | 27 | 22 | 149 |
| Aug 24, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 31, 2026 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.
26% left · 42% center · 32% right of 112 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 13 stories.
Every storyoldest first
March 2026
Mar 31Lawyers for Rep. Swalwell demand that FBI director halt any plan to release old investigative file5 articles · 5 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 1 rightApril 2026
Apr 8CA gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell denies 'false' accusations of inappropriate behavior12 articles · 10 independent sources2 left, 1 center, 7 right- Apr 10– 15A new accuser says Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her62 articles · 30 independent sources7 left, 11 center, 8 right
- Apr 11– 17Eric Swalwell faces DOJ investigation: Report28 articles · 18 independent sources1 left, 6 center, 7 right
- Apr 11– 13Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor after being accused of sexual assault93 articles · 45 independent sources11 left, 14 center, 15 right
- Apr 12– 14Eric Swalwell to Resign from Congress Following Sex Assault Allegations101 articles · 50 independent sources12 left, 19 center, 13 right
- Apr 13House Ethics panel opens investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell20 articles · 18 independent sources0 left, 9 center, 5 right
- Apr 15Special election to fill Eric Swalwell5 articles · 5 independent sources0 left, 3 center, 2 right
August 2026
Aug 16– 20Swalwell had sex with 'Fang Fang' multiple times: FBI docs23 articles · 18 independent sources0 left, 4 center, 13 right- Aug 17– 18What to expect in CA's special congressional election to fill Eric Swalwell's seat7 articles · 7 independent sources1 left, 4 center, 0 right
- Aug 19– 21Democrat Aisha Wahab wins the special election for Eric Swalwell’s former California district36 articles · 29 independent sources3 left, 13 center, 3 right
- Aug 20– 24FBI raids Eric Swalwell’s home amid sexual assault claims inquiry – report89 articles · 63 independent sources9 left, 18 center, 18 right
September 2026
Sep 1Surveillance video shows former Rep. Eric Swalwell being stopped by FBI at SFO13 articles · 10 independent sources0 left, 4 center, 4 right