Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.) will "soon" face sexual harassment allegations from a number of "credible women," including former staffers, according to the leader of the left-wing advocacy group Gen-Z for Change, who said she has been "personally working" with the women to expose a "pattern of manipulation and abuse of power."
The group's executive director, Cheyenne Hunt, detailed the impending allegations against Swalwell, who is running for governor of California, in a series of social media posts. Her original video was posted to Instagram in late March and cited a text from a woman who wrote, "You know Eric Swalwell has slept with many of his interns and makes them all sign NDAs so they don't speak up, right? And when I was 19 he tried hitting on me and sliding into my DMs and I have so many other friends that have similar experiences with him." Hunt said the message was "not an anomaly" but "part of a pattern."
Hunt followed up in a video posted Sunday, titled "Why I Came Forward About Eric Swalwell." She said she is "personally working with a group of women who want to come forward and share their stories" and is "also aware of a much larger group that is also in this process." A "shocking" number of "credible" women came forward after Hunt posted her first video, she added. She did not respond to a request for comment.
"We have secured pro bono legal representation for them, and they are in the process of sharing their information with major outlets while ensuring that their legal and physical safety is protected," Hunt said. "That process takes time, but the number of credible women who have come forward since I posted my first video is really shocking, and all of them moving forward together has greatly expedited the timeline of this whole process." Hunt said she had "heard these rumors for years, going back to the time when I was working on the Hill," and "started digging in" when a "close personal friend" privately detailed allegations against Swalwell.
"Many of these women have remained silent for so long because they believed that they were alone and that if they came forward, it would ruin their careers," Hunt said. "It appears that others may have stayed silent because of a belief that non-disclosure agreements required them to keep this secret." She said she is "confident this story will break soon."
The allegations loom as Swalwell narrowly leads a crowded field of candidates in the closely watched California gubernatorial race. He has landed endorsements from prominent Democrats like Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) and from prominent labor unions like Service Employees International Union California. An Emerson College poll published in March found Swalwell leading the open primary with 17 percent of the vote, a 4-point lead over Republican commentator Steve Hilton and a 6-point lead over Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer.
Hunt acknowledged in her video on Sunday that the allegations "will have an impact on the California governor's race." She dismissed "any suggestions that we should refrain from talking about this or seeking justice for these women because it is not good 'political strategy,'" saying, "I frankly refuse to dignify the idea with a response."
Swalwell did not respond to a request for comment. Hunt said in a Monday X post that Swalwell follows her on social media and that she knows Swalwell's team "is aware" of her posts.
"Yet, I have not been served with legal paperwork and I have not received a cease and desist," she wrote. "The truth is an absolute defense and they know that." Another Democratic strategist, Bhavik Lathia, called the allegations against Swalwell "real" and said there "is going to be a lot more coming out soon."
"Take it seriously. Eric Swallwell [sic] cannot be our nominee," he wrote.
Hunt, an attorney, interned for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) in 2020 before working as a "Big Tech Accountability Advocate" for the left-wing nonprofit Public Citizen. She became Gen-Z for Change's executive director in May 2025; the group launched during the 2020 election as "TikTok for Biden" before rebranding to its current name and criticizing the Biden administration from the left on climate change and foreign policy.
The new allegations aren't the only potential source of embarrassment for the 45-year-old Swalwell.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering releasing an intelligence report about Swalwell's relationship with Chinese spy Christine Fang, also known as "Fang Fang." Fang cozied up to Swalwell when he served on the Dublin, Calif., city council and maintained ties to Swalwell through at least 2015, three years after he was elected to Congress. Swalwell hired an associate of Fang's to work in his office as an intern.
Swalwell's critics have alleged that he maintained a sexual relationship with Fang. According to reports, Fang seduced local politicians from other cities as part of her covert duties for China.
