2026年4月12日 美国东部时间下午4:58 / CNN
作者：迈克尔·威廉姆斯、艾莉森·戈登
更新于2026年4月12日 美国东部时间下午5:27
发布于2026年4月12日 美国东部时间下午4:58
安纳贝尔·戈登/路透社
2025年9月17日，在华盛顿特区国会山，联邦调查局局长卡什·帕特尔（未出镜）出席众议院司法委员会听证会时，联邦众议员埃里克·斯瓦威尔（民主党-加州）在场。
一封由超过50名埃里克·斯瓦威尔前雇员签署的信件，将针对他的性侵和不当行为最新指控描述为“严重”且“可信”，同时要求他辞去国会职务并退出加州州长竞选。
“《旧金山纪事报》和CNN报道的指控严重、可信，必须追究责任，”这封信写道，“我们明确支持站出来陈述真相的同事，她展现了非凡的勇气。我们相信她。”
此事发生在CNN和《旧金山纪事报》报道一名前雇员指控斯瓦威尔性侵两天后。该雇员称，两人当晚饮酒，最终斯瓦威尔在她无法表示同意的情况下与其发生性关系。此外，另有三名接受CNN采访的女性指控斯瓦威尔存在其他不当性行为，包括主动发送露骨照片和低俗信息。
曼哈顿地区检察官办公室周六表示，正在调查一起针对斯瓦威尔的性侵指控。该办公室鼓励受害者及了解相关指控的人员联系其特殊受害者部门。
此次报道彻底打乱了斯瓦威尔的州长竞选计划，多名此前背书他的知名民主党人已撤回支持。部分民主党人要求斯瓦威尔在任期结束前辞去国会职务。
本周复活节和逾越节假期结束后，众议院将恢复议事，斯瓦威尔还面临被驱逐出国会的可能。驱逐该议员的投票需要三分之二多数票才能通过。
斯瓦威尔在周五晚间发给CNN的一份声明和社交媒体发布的视频中均否认了性侵指控，但他在视频中承认自己“过去确实在判断力上犯过错误”。自周五以来，斯瓦威尔尚未公开回应其州长竞选的现状。
在呼吁斯瓦威尔终止竞选并辞职时，他的前雇员们写道：“在这些指控尚未得到解决的情况下，继续担任任何职务，都是对所有曾为他工作、向他汇报或信任他的人的侮辱。”
斯瓦威尔的现任雇员周六单独发布了一封未署名的信件，称针对斯瓦威尔的指控“令人发指”，同时请求外界理解那些没有立即辞职的雇员。
“雇员们在此期间选择留任，不应被视为对埃里克·斯瓦威尔的支持，”这封周六发布的信件写道，“我们认识到，并非所有人——尤其是初级职员——能够立即放弃收入和福利，而不承担重大的个人风险或后果。”
CNN已就最新的雇员信件联系了斯瓦威尔的律师和发言人。
民主党人呼吁斯瓦威尔终止竞选，部分人要求其离开国会
多名民主党人周日呼吁斯瓦威尔离开国会。不过众议院少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯虽敦促斯瓦威尔退出州长竞选，但拒绝透露他是否应该辞去国会席位——因为其所在政党希望在今年中期选举后重新夺回众议院多数席位。
“我们将于下周初在华盛顿复会，届时将有更多表态，”杰弗里斯周日在里士满的一场后院集会上告诉记者。
几名不担任党内领导职务的民主党人明确要求斯瓦威尔辞职。
“我们不能容忍这种行为，”弗吉尼亚州众议员尤金·文德曼周日对CNN表示，“埃里克·斯瓦威尔众议员必须下台。”
华盛顿州民主党众议员普拉米拉·贾亚帕尔呼吁斯瓦威尔退出加州州长竞选，并补充称，她将投票驱逐斯瓦威尔和得克萨斯州共和党众议员托尼·冈萨雷斯——后者正因性侵指控接受众议院道德委员会调查。
“我们现在看到的是，全国各地曾被忽视、被要求闭嘴、被要求翻篇的女性站了出来，她们曾遭受有权势男性的虐待，”贾亚帕尔在NBC的《与媒体见面》节目中表示。
同样来自加州的民主党众议员罗·卡纳未表明是否会投票驱逐斯瓦威尔，但表示他应该下台。
“我曾说过，他不仅需要下台，还需要启动众议院道德调查和执法调查。作为曾与（肯塔基州共和党众议员）托马斯·马西牵头处理爱泼斯坦相关事务的人，我真心为幸存者感到骄傲，”他在《福克斯新闻周日》节目中说道。
佛罗里达州共和党众议员拜伦·唐纳兹表示，斯瓦威尔和冈萨雷斯“都应该滚回老家”，并补充称他将投票支持驱逐这两名议员。
“这些指控令人发指，玷污了国会的廉洁。这些行为完全不可接受。在我看来，两位先生都应该滚回老家，”他说。
CNN的杰夫·泽莱尼、艾琳·格拉夫、达莉亚·阿卜杜勒瓦哈布和朱利安·席尔瓦-福布斯对本文亦有贡献。
Swalwell faces pressure to resign from Congress as former staffers denounce alleged misconduct in new letter
2026-04-12 4:58 PM ET / CNN
By Michael Williams, Allison Gordon
Updated Apr 12, 2026, 5:27 PM ET
PUBLISHED Apr 12, 2026, 4:58 PM ET
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) attends a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel (not pictured), on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, September 17, 2025.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
A letter signed by more than 50 former staffers of Rep. Eric Swalwell described recent allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him as “serious” and “credible,” while demanding he resign from Congress and drop his bid for California governor.
“The allegations reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN are serious, credible, and demand accountability,” the letter said. “We stand unequivocally with our colleague, who showed extraordinary courage in coming forward to share her truth. We believe her.”
It comes two days after both CNN and the Chronicle reported that a former staffer accused the California Democrat of sexual assault, describing a night of drinking that ended with Swalwell having sex with her when she could not consent. In addition, three other women who spoke with CNN alleged other sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including sending unsolicited nude photos and graphic messages.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it is investigating an allegation of sexual assault against Swalwell. It encouraged survivors and those with knowledge of allegations to contact its Special Victims Division.
The reporting has upended Swalwell’s campaign for governor, prompting several prominent Democrats who had endorsed him to retract their support. Some Democrats have demanded Swalwell resign from Congress before the end of his term.
Swalwell also faces the possibility of being expelled from Congress as the House convenes this week following a vacation for Easter and Passover. A vote to expel the congressman would require a two-thirds majority to succeed.
Swalwell denied the allegations of sexual assault both in a statement to CNN and in a video posted on social media Friday evening, though in the video he acknowledged he’d “certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past.” Swalwell has not publicly addressed the status of his gubernatorial campaign since Friday.
In calling for Swalwell to end his campaign and resign, his former staffers wrote: “Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him, reported to him, or placed their trust in him,” the letter said.
Current Swalwell staffers separately released an unsigned letter on Saturday calling the allegations against Swalwell “abhorrent,” while asking for understanding toward staffers who did not immediately resign from their jobs.
“Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell,” the Saturday letter said. “We recognize that not everyone — in particular our junior staff — can immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk or consequence.”
CNN has reached out to Swalwell’s lawyer and to a spokesperson on the latest letter from staffers.
Democrats call for Swalwell to end campaign, with some demanding he leave Congress
Multiple Democrats on Sunday called on Swalwell to leave Congress. Yet House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who urged Swalwell to end his candidacy for governor, declined to say whether he should now resign his congressional seat, as his party hopes to retake the majority in the House after this year’s midterm elections.
“We’ll reconvene in Washington early next week and we’ll have more to say,” Jeffries told reporters during a backyard rally in Richmond on Sunday.
Several Democrats who do not hold party leadership positions were unequivocal in demanding Swalwell’s resignation.
“We should not tolerate this behavior,” said Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman told CNN on Sunday. “Representative Eric Swalwell needs to go.”
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington called on Swalwell to drop out of the California gubernatorial race, adding that she would vote to expel both him and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over sexual misconduct allegations.
“What we are seeing now is an emergence of women across the country who have been dismissed, told to shut up, told to move on, who have been abused my men in powerful positions,” Jayapal said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who is also of California, did not say whether he would vote to expel Swalwell but said he should step aside.
“I have said that not only does he need to step aside, but there needs to be House Ethics investigations and law enforcement investigations. And I really stand with pride with the survivors, especially as someone who’s worked with (Kentucky GOP Rep.) Thomas Massie to lead the Epstein effort,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida said both Swalwell and Gonzales “need to go home,” adding that he would vote “yes” on measures to expel both lawmakers.
“These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. As far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home,” he said.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Aileen Graef, Dalia Abdelwahab and Julian Silva-Forbes contributed.
