A Democratic attorney and activist says she is working with a group of women who are preparing to go public with sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, a married congressman now running for governor and currently leading in early polls.
Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of the left-wing group Gen-Z for Change, laid out the claims in a thread on X early Monday morning, saying the women she is coordinating with include "employees, interns, and fans" who allege Swalwell used his position "as a mentor just to exploit that power." The allegations, she said, range "from uncomfortable comments to potentially criminal conduct."
No formal charges, lawsuits, or official complaints have been filed. Swalwell's office did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. But the claims are now circulating openly among Democratic operatives, and the silence from Swalwell's camp is doing nothing to slow them down.
Hunt, a 26-year-old lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for California's 45th district in 2024, said she first got involved because someone close to her came forward privately. She posted an Instagram video on March 31 alleging that Swalwell "has a known history of being predatory towards women." That video included what Hunt described as a text message from another woman.
The text, displayed on screen, read: "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."
Hunt then escalated on X, posting a detailed thread that described the alleged misconduct as involving "DMs and Snapchat messages." She said the women have "secured pro bono legal representation" and are "in the process of sharing information with reporters and ensuring that they are physically and legally safe."
Hunt wrote on X:
"I got involved because the first victim who approached me is a close friend, but when I saw that there were others who's experiences fit the same pattern of manipulation and abuse of power, I knew I couldn't stay silent."
She added that after she spoke publicly about her friend's experience, others came forward. "Many brave women came forward and shared their stories with me," Hunt wrote. She acknowledged the process is slow. "That process takes time."
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Hunt said the women include former staffers and that they are sharing information with major media outlets. Hunt told the Free Beacon that the number of "credible women" who have come forward since her first video is "really shocking."
Hunt is not alone in pressing the issue. Bhavik Lathia, a Democratic strategist, posted on X early Monday that he had just gotten "off the phone with a trusted friend" and urged his party to take the matter seriously.
Lathia wrote: "This is real. Take it seriously. Eric Swallwell [sic] cannot be our nominee." In a follow-up post, Lathia said: "There is going to be a lot more coming out soon. I can't say more right now, but stay tuned."
He added, in language that underscores the intraparty nature of the accusations: "And this isn't some partisan witch hunt. These are real Dem women coming forward. A lot of this s*** is going to shock yall."
That framing matters. These are not Republican opposition researchers or right-wing media figures making the claims. They are Democrats, people from Swalwell's own political world, publicly warning their own side that a problem is coming.
Swalwell, who has represented his district in the House since 2013, announced his run for California governor in November 2025 on Jimmy Kimmel's show. He is running to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. An Emerson College poll released March 11 showed Swalwell in first place among the field at 17 percent.
He is married with three children. The allegations, if they gain traction, would land in the middle of what is already a competitive and high-profile race. And they arrive at a moment when Swalwell's broader record of controversy is drawing fresh attention from voters and media alike.
Hunt, for her part, appears to understand the political dynamics. She wrote on X that "having this conversation publicly makes me a liability." But she framed the decision as a matter of principle.
"I do not believe in holding republicans to a different standard than we are willing to uphold ourselves. No more predators in power, from either party, period."
She also noted that she is aware of the legal risk she is taking. "I am an attorney," Hunt wrote. "I am well aware of the risk I am taking by speaking out publicly and that fact that if I were to lie about a powerful public figure on a platform of my size, I could easily be subject to a defamation lawsuit."
Hunt said Swalwell's team "is aware of my video and the other creators talking about" the allegations. She said the congressman has "been served with legal paperwork" and referenced a "cease and desist." Her response was blunt: "The truth is an absolute defense and they know that."
What stands out most in this story is what is missing: any substantive response from Eric Swalwell. His office did not reply to the Daily Caller's request for comment. No public statement has been issued denying the claims. No surrogate has stepped forward to vouch for his conduct.
That silence is notable for a congressman who has never been shy about making himself the center of attention, whether on cable news, on social media, or on late-night television. Swalwell has long positioned himself as a progressive champion. He has been quick to demand accountability from political opponents. Now, when the spotlight turns on him, the microphone goes dead.
This is not the first time Swalwell has faced uncomfortable questions about his judgment and associations. His ties to a suspected Chinese spy drew national scrutiny, and more recently, his legal team's attempts to block the release of related FBI files raised further questions about what he would prefer to keep hidden.
Separately, Swalwell has faced scrutiny over six Qatar-funded trips to Doha taken while running for governor, a pattern of foreign entanglements that voters might reasonably find troubling in a candidate seeking to lead the nation's most populous state.
There is much we do not yet know. How many women are involved? What specific conduct is alleged, and when did it occur? Has any law enforcement agency or congressional office received formal complaints? What evidence exists beyond social media posts and the text message Hunt displayed in her Instagram video?
Hunt herself acknowledged the process is ongoing. She said she is connecting the women with "investigative reporting teams who have been working on breaking this for years" and expressed confidence the story "will break soon."
None of these claims have been independently verified. They remain, at this point, allegations made on social media by a Democratic activist and echoed by a Democratic strategist. That matters. Accusations are not convictions, and public claims are not proof.
But the fact that these allegations are emerging from within Swalwell's own party, from people with no obvious partisan motive to fabricate, makes them harder to dismiss as political gamesmanship. Hunt ran as a Democrat. Lathia works as a Democratic strategist. Gen-Z for Change is a left-wing organization. These are not Swalwell's political enemies. They are his political neighbors.
For years, Democrats have built a political brand around the idea that they are the party that believes women, holds powerful men accountable, and refuses to tolerate misconduct. That brand has been tested repeatedly, and the tests have often revealed a gap between the rhetoric and the response.
Hunt seems to know this. Her X thread explicitly called out the temptation to look the other way. "And while it may be seen as politically expedient to sweep this under the rug," she wrote, "it is the wrong thing to do and we know it."
She also referenced her time working on Capitol Hill: "I worked on the Hill, I know many women who still do and this message that I received yesterday is not unique."
Whether the California Democratic establishment rallies behind the women making these claims, or circles the wagons around a frontrunner polling at 17 percent, will say more about the party's actual values than any campaign speech ever could.
Accountability is easy to demand when it costs you nothing. The real test comes when the accused is one of your own.
