I may get banned for this, but

[grumpyduck]

Regarding the accusations against Eric, sometimes I think the repugs are playing chess while the Democrats are playing checkers.

This isn't about him, it's about keeping a Democrat out of the running so that asshole backed by t has a better chance.

[SheltieLover]

1. I'm not saying he is innocent, but I do believe the timing stinks of rat fuckery.

JMO.

[RandomNumbers]

7. I was with you until I saw 'FOUR WOMEN'

That's a lot of coordination for rat-fuckery.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/us/eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations-invs

[SheltieLover]

9. Has anyone credible asked them why they waited until now?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

24. Victims in cases like these will often come forward when they see that someone they know as a predator or pest is about

to get even more power. It's why Christine Blasey Ford came forward, and why Anita Hill agreed to testify.

[RandomNumbers]

27. Scattered throughout the CNN article, which is long

The gist is, each one thought they were the only one, and felt some level of personal responsibility for what happened.

I'm pretty sure that's common among sexual abuse victims.

From the article, emphasis added:

Rumors about misbehavior by Swalwell have circulated on social media in recent weeks, broadcast by a group of progressive social media influencers. Most of the women who spoke to CNN initially reached out to one of these influencers, and said that before the social media attention, they had assumed they were alone in their experiences with Swalwell.

[SheltieLover]

28. That is, indeed, a commonality among sexual assault survivors, but I'm still reserving judgment.

The timing is just too convenient and phone numbers can easily be spoofed.

[RandomNumbers]

35. Good point and I mostly agree with you. Time should tell.

But as I posted in other spots, what has me leaning a little more to his guilt is the description of the heavy drinking aspects, and the lack of vociferous denials of THAT by people who should know.

Combine the booze factor with a guy who has been shaped in a misogynistic culture - even if sober he doesn't agree with it - and the risks are very high that there is some truth to the accusations. (to be clear, risk does not equal something actually happening. but best for someone to avoid the risk, period.)

Hell, maybe he could credibly claim in each case that he thought the woman consented. Then we get into whether consent is truly possible in these situations.

[SheltieLover]

67. And, at least, the alleged victims were not children!

[Trueblue1968]

92. I agree with you. I think everyone involved .. Women, men, witnesses should take a polygraph.

Or is my suggestion totally stupid? I am so honored by this news, I can't think straight.


Why now ????? Why?

[SheltieLover]

93. Because Swallwell has been outspoken about kraznov.

[jfz9580m]

131. I have been thinking of polygraphs as a complainant myself

Somewhat more complicated context than this. Mine is more tied to a general sense of alarm, distrust and distaste tied to the budding fugly surveillance state built and made by surveillance capitalists with little oversight and little protection for the better techies building/making it and none at all for (irate) and colpletely non volunteering human research subjects like me

I am not one of Zuckerberg’s suckers or patsies.

I have no objection to polygraphs
My only objection is to these invasive cottage industries exploiting my space and resources to screw me over.

This emerging PanOpticon we all live in now is full of parasitic industries involving ai and the kind of shit creepy people like Alex Pentland (formerly of the Epstein associated MIT lab and now with the slightly less creepy and mostly just douchey and tacky Stanford Hai. Stanford is the “respectable” one of the bunch. They are mostly douchey and obnoxious not outright creepy!!! They are the good guys!!!!) shill. Aaron Elkins and these lie detector shills tend to be pretty awful people.

But a polygraph administered by law enforcement in appropriate settings I at least have no issue with in proper settings where it is not this “in the wild” encroachment that is being corruptly normalized using specious logic applicable only to internet.

The internet cannot just unilaterally bleed into real life as I see it do complete with harassment and stalking plus bullshit analogies about Streisand effects etc (I mean probably. That is how those morons think or argue).

They cannot ignore the consequences of forcing the dynamics of the net and celebrity and entertainment culture, the world of electoral politics (as distinct from grassroots citizen action, activism and protest) into the real world with Google’s (shady and tacky) declarations and Pentland’s (creepy) worldview in places like India where I live.

Here acid attacks and gangrapes are common enough. And stranger danger as well as acquaintance danger exists, though most men and most people are decent as they are everywhere. This is not about India anymore than Trump and technoparasites and technofascists like Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya, Balaji Srinivasan, are about the U.S.

But that doesn’t mean that safety should be bogus and exploit the innocuousness of most people to ignore the actual creeps and frauds.

This has been so hard to communicate to people whose brains like mine blur the real world and the net much to benefit of only these hucksters. Darpa connected computers. Humans are not bloody computers and the dynamics of the real world are not driven by algorithms but by human sociopolitics.

[stopdiggin]

32. an ABSOLUTELY common dynamic in sexual assault .. - - - - - - - - - - -(nt)-

[wolfie001]

70. Maybe he's skilled at gaslighting

Like throwing what he did back to the lady like it's her fault. This is just bad, bad, bad. On to our next best hope. We don't need the 4th largest economy in the world being run by a rePUKE.

[stopdiggin]

31. "why did you wait ?" is an age old question that has an unfortunate history of being weaponized ....

And has repeatedly been answered in some form of, "Because when I saw other women .." " It wasn't just me ..!" "I gained strength from knowing .. "
i.e., - there is safety, strength (and solidarity) in numbers ...

I don't think the question can ever be irrelevant or dismissed out of hand - but it certainly needs to be posed withing a context of understanding the very real dynamic of sexual assault. Yes?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[EdmondDantes_]

34. Here are some resources on why many victims don't come forward

https://survivors.org/why-dont-survivors-report/

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/sexual-assault-remains-dramatically-underreported

Why did Christine Blasey Ford wait until Kavanaugh was up for the Supreme Court? Why did E Jean Carroll wait until 2019 to accuse Trump? Victims don't come forward for a whole lot of reasons. Did you cast doubt on them for waiting?

[OMGWTF]

40. Fun fact: It was George Conway (the former Mr. Kellyanne Conway) who told E. Jean Carroll to file a suit against T💩p.

[EdmondDantes_]

41. I didn't know that.

I wonder how he managed to stay married to her as long as he did.

[muriel_volestrangler]

50. Politico says they've seen a written confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement

despite the campaign's claim that they never used them.

A former employee of Rep. Eric Swalwell signed an agreement with confidentiality and non-disparagement requirements when they left his office, despite the California Democrat’s claim that no one on his staff signed an NDA during his tenure.

The agreement, obtained by POLITICO, pertained to a workplace discrimination dispute and was not related to sexual harassment, according to the employee, who was granted anonymity because they feared retaliation. The document is dated within the last five years; POLITICO agreed not to disclose the specific year to protect the employee’s anonymity.
...
“In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell’s Congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever,” Micah Beasley, a campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.
...
The agreement has multiple provisions regarding confidentiality and non-disclosure. It stipulates that, by signing, the employee “will not voluntarily disseminate or publish, or cause anyone else to disseminate or publish, in any manner, disparaging, threatening, defamatory, or negative remarks or comments” about their employment in Swalwell’s office or any information learned during that time that is “adverse to the interests” of Swalwell’s office or staff.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/swalwell-staffer-discrimination-settlement-00867894

[not fooled]

65. If it was pukes,

wouldn't they have waited until Swalwell was the nominee, then sprung this on him? It could be pukes behind releasing this information now, but the impact would have been even worse had Swalwell been the only Dem left.

[Biglinda 52]

78. You must be male.....

women are not believed....that's why. The only thing you can do is tell your your friends about it. So they are witnesses right after it happens. Go to the police?? they'll blow you off. There's strength in numbers. I saw a post on IG about 10 days ago about this. Glad more women came forward. I think the poster mentioned having to sign a NDA.

[SheltieLover]

79. I am not male & am a strong feminist with a strong bs sniffer & this stinks!

Why did Roger Stone know about the allegations before they were public knowledge?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221165932#post1

[mr715]

90. My beloved lover of Shelties...

This news only helps the Democrats, so Roger Stone isn't helping the GOP here. It could be he personally wants to destroy Swalwell or he just is reporting a credible issue neutrally.

Eric Swalwell's falls makes it very unlikely a Democrat will lose because his 30% will go to other Democrats in the race, not the 2 Republicans tied for the lead.

[SheltieLover]

94. Most of the bottom tier Dems in the race should've pulled out, imo &, in fact that they didn't makes me wonder how many

are actually repuke plants.

[pandr32]

113. Exactly, and right through the whole "Me Too!" movement.

There was a whole lot of support.

[hamsterjill]

22. But four women all now?

That's the part that *I* have a problem with. I can't get to the article because of the subscription, but are they all speaking out NOW? I mean, it's a little suspect that four come forward all at the same time and just when he's running for governor.

So, there's two sides to that thinking.

If he's guilty, let him fry. But coordinated attacks typically make me go "hold on a minute, let me get the facts".

I've been really disappointed about the things that I've read about Katie Porter of late, and she was really quick to call for his withdrawal.

So, my stance is still wait and see. I don't know if he's guilty, or innocent. Haven't made up my mind just yet.

[SheltieLover]

26. I don't know either, Jill, but phone numbers can be spoofed and we know ruskies are great at hacking...

Just my opinion to wait and see and not rush to judgment. Magats will be running around screaming for him to drop out of the race because that's what they do, without looking at their adjudicated rapist and 34-count convicted felon deliberately destroying our country for pootin.

[hamsterjill]

97. Agreed, Sheltie.

Let's just give this some time and see what develops.

[RandomNumbers]

30. I'm on the fence too

but there seems to be some 'there' there in that article (sorry you can't get to it).

I sort of doubt that they would even be able to make credible allegations except that the circumstances they describe would be deemed likely by people who know Swalwell. That is, the heavy drinking aspect.

Even if he isn't guilty of the sexual allegations: if he's doing a lot of heavy drinking with staffers ... or hanging out with staffers and allowing them to drink heavily and not seeing to it that they get safely home ... to me that's bad enough for me to scratch him off my list of any politician I want to see promoted. Just really bad self management and bad way to interact with staff. And if he isn't the kind of guy who puts himself in those positions - where are his supporters and other staffers loudly proclaiming, hey this has to be a lie, he just doesn't behave like that at all?
Yet instead, some staffers decided to resign. Perhaps they have 'experiences' also and just want out, without coming forward into the limelight.

Yeah I want to see people who should know, loudly calling 'RUBBISH, that's not him'.

But I don't want to see him give up his Congressional seat until we can replace him, and also not until the investigation plays out a little more.

[hamsterjill]

98. The unfortunate thing is that he'll already be cancelled.

Not defending Timothy Busfield, but Melissa Gilbert gave an interview earlier this week and that was what she said. If Busfield is even found innocent and charges dropped, etc., there is always going to be that stigma of the charges. Same with most men who are accused.

In a court of law, I guarantee you the woman who says she was attacked twice while drunk would be laughed out of court. Same with the State Trooper who accused Cuomo. Cuomo is assuredly a dirty asshole, but a State Trooper should be expected to be able to defend herself, wouldn't you think? People on DU can scream all they want about it not being fair. It isn't.

I am an old and devout feminist, and I certainly believe that there are times when women are abused. Full stop. But I also know that there are times when those accusations are "timed" just for a certain result. *I* (personally) want to empower women to be able to fight back against sexual abuse. *I* grew up with the understanding that if a man came on to me and I said "no", that the next step was going to be to slap the shit out of him, find a safe place and call the police. I realize I'm simplifying. But women need to feel strong enough to report these things WHEN they happen. That's my hope for a future one day, and that will make the abuse less frequent when men know that there's a price to pay timely.

I'll continue to wait until we see some further evidence before I condemn Swalwell. That doesn't mean that when I see what I need to see that makes me believe he may be guilty, that I won't change my mind and call for him to step down. I'm just not there yet on this one.

[soldierant]

128. I have no idea

whether you are male or female. Men often have trouble with is because they gave so much more privilege than women, and even when it's explained to them, they seem to find it diffivult to grasp. So, if you are maie, imagine you were one of four altar boys who were raped by a priest. Yu all knew about it, and said nothing except to each other. But now the priest is underconsideration for a bishopric. Might you not decide to come forward and at least try to precent the promotion?

[hamsterjill]

132. Please don't.

This isn't a situation where a juvenile is involved. At least, I've not heard that any of the women accusing Swalwell are under age.

All I've said is to wait for the facts. Or, in your mind, is Swalwell already guilty and gone without having a chance to defend himself? Because when THAT becomes the norm, then Republicans will just find people who can make accusations, and we won't ever have a candidate pure enough.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

45. California's jungle primary is weird.

But you or I could win the CA gubernatorial race if we ran as a Democrat. It's not as if Swalwell is some political savior.

[FHRRK1]

118. You get it

The top two right now are Repubs, combined they are polling at 28%.

Multiple Dems are right around 10%, with Swalwell at 12% so his numbers will go to some other Dem.

With the Swalwell issues, one Dem will hop the Repukes for the lead. If two hop then the Repubs will get shut out and not even have a candidate for the General.

As for the allegations against Swalwell having an impact on Dems, are you fucking kidding me! If any Dem nationwide can’t handle a question like this in the Trump era then said person needs to grow a backbone.

Simple to state, he was polling at 12%! And unlike Republicans and Donald J. Trump, we took responsibility and quickly worked towards correcting the situation.

Personally I think Steyer is most likely to get the bump, he has been advertising non stop for months. Only issue is who else can get enough support.

In a generic sense, it should be Katie Porter, but she hasn’t been able to get any momentum. In fact, she has lost all momentum after giving up her House seat and running for the Senate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

121. D versus R we win. D versus D we win.

Swalwell is cooked. His staff quit. His supporters withdrew. It looks bad. Four accusers, corroborated accounts, unsolicited dick picks. My lord.

[pandr32]

85. I remember several women coming forward after Tara Reade.

Al Franken was blindsided. The first accusation wasn't a slam dunk so suddenly there were others with stories. "He made me uncomfortable" "he grabbed my butt" he this--he that, etc. Like Al, Eric has mingled with lots of people. He has been there the whole time and now suddenly the faucet opens and a stream of allegations are flowing out.
Yes, it stinks, and Roger Stone is in the mix.
Where are all those Al Franken sexual harassment people now? Did they shrink back into the woodwork?
The details of the first complaint against Eric is the one being bolstered by a stream of "he sent me inappropriate photos" etc.
The first complaint really needs a good look.The collaborator is an ex-boyfriend who has claimed she told him several years ago, and she had a pregnancy test, etc. Did she? Also, if she did what does it prove about her allegations? Did she file a report? No. She worked with him for several more years. Also, the assumption that something had happened because of how she felt the next morning is interesting. After the first time why would she allow it again? If "she was intimidated by his power" then what changed? Enter Roger Stone and all the dirty tricks he is known for along with his buddy Steve Bannon.
We need to consider that this is a dirty trick op. Not only would it end Eric Swalwell's run for governor of one of our most important and financially stable states, but it would knock him off the Judiciary Committee and other caucuses. He has been a strong and reliable steward for justice and democracy. He is a skilled lawyer and his track record until now has been stellar and effective. He has been a voice for releasing the Epstein files and for supporting the victims of Trump and Epstein as well as others. Of course he is on Trump's regime's hit list. He started a war as a distraction for fux sake and is a menace to the whole world.
Our stance should be to give him our support because he has had our back.
We should insist the accusers file appropriate charges and/or provide evidence, and we need to stop clutching pearls.
Meanwhile, if no certifiable pictures and evidence not AI'd we should back our candidate.
This isn't about not believing women. This is about knowing that people can be persuaded or intimidated. Eric might not be the one using those tools.
Eric Swalwell believes in law and justice. We should let it play out and if he is ever found guilty of an offence he would be replaceable then. Meanwhile let him do his jobs.

[SonOfNebanaube]

102. Dangle $1 million each

And it could have been arranged very quickly.

[Pompoy]

136. I was skeptical about one accuser, as she had a continuing relationship, but with four accusers? Nah, bye Eric

Too bad, I liked him a lot before this.

[yardwork]

11. Why? Having Swalwell drop out now helps Democrats.

There are 19 other Democratic candidates for the nomination.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

49. That's the problem with CA's jungle primary

Last edited Sat Apr 11, 2026, 02:01 PM - Edit history (1)

The fear is they split the vote and two MAGAS are the top two and go on to November. That would be a catastrophe. I wish Kamala would come and clear the field.

[paleotn]

61. Someone will. That's a certainty.

No way in fucking hell the Pukes take this election.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

68. Swalwell is finished.

He went from about a 50% chance in the betting/predictitions market to 2%. If the accusations are true it's sad. He seemed like a decent and earnest guy.

[paleotn]

71. Yes, he is finished. But that's not the end of the world.

It's not like there aren't other viable Dems in California.

The problem is putting humans on pedestals. No matter how decent and earnest they may seem, they're still human, with all the frailties of every other human. We need to stop the deifying shit. We're not Pukes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

75. Four accusers whose accounts have been corroborated

I didn't really put him on a pedestal. He's likeable enough. There is also a difference between a playa and a serial abuser. Neither is laudable, but the latter should be a bar to public office or worse. We just need to ensure a Democrat finishes in the top two.

[WizumbODaSage]

88. Putting on a Pedestal Is One Thing

.... but these kind of guys who are forbidden to eat certain meats and are then shown at the pork chops & sausage feast at DENNY'S...like Clinton...like Spitzer...it happens but risking Presidencies & Governorships while cretins like Gingrich, Cruz, Trump, DeSantis eat our lunch by spending their lives figuring out how NOT to improve American lives has gotten us to a place where Republicans answer for nothing AND are held to a lower or non existent(King Cyrus) standard while DEMS get caught up like the hall monitors stealing the cupcakes on Open House day.

We can understand that we are all human and subject to the same tendency to do right or wrong. But we must expect more and, because we lost in 2024 due to a tarnished sense that we say & present but don't really MEAN IT!, we have to pay a higher price when we fall short.

[WiVoter]

15. So Do I

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. It was self sabotage

Both by Swallwell and by the California Dems in general.

8+ Dems candidates vs 2 Republicans in a jungle primary.

The Republicans did the math.

[LeftInTX]

123. Sometimes Democrats need math lessons OR, they need to think of the party before themselves.

They see a vacant seat and everyone and their dog files.

And when we have special elections here, there is no filing fee. So, it's a free for all.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Reason No. I-Lost-Count why victims don't speak out: They're seen as saboteurs.

[yardwork]

12. These threads.... smh.

[EdmondDantes_]

13. It's sad that we're still doing this

Every reason to refuse to believe victims.

[leftstreet]

5. He can still run. As a Republican n/t

[Vinca]

16. If he could up his numbers to double digits he could be a GOP presidential nominee in 2028.

[EYESORE 9001]

19. Speaking of banning...

[niyad]

37. Darn!!! Did I just miss a visit from our resident troll???

[some_of_us_are_sane]

20. How INTERESTING.........

raw vegan velma. This is your first post, you JUST JOINED today and you chose to attack a poster. What might that indicate?

[niyad]

39. Hmmmmm, one of our resident trolls, perhaps? And I missed them!

[Spazito]

44. Yes, the library must be closed today.

[some_of_us_are_sane]

74. LOL!!

"Stealth Spy"

[some_of_us_are_sane]

69. Probably niyad

Chose a different moniker and slithered right in.

[BumRushDaShow]

60. Definitely not her first post

But have always wished it would have been her last.

[yardwork]

8. That doesn't really make sense, though.

There are something like twenty Democratic candidates running in the California primary for governor. The one who wins the Democratic primary is very likely to win in the general election this fall.

Republicans would want a wounded candidate to win the primary. Republicans would have kept the accusations against Swalwell quiet, hoping he would win the nomination and then they could reveal all this right before the November election.

It doesn't make sense for this to be a Republican operation. It's not at all in their interest.

[Emile]

14. This +1

[mikewv]

21. https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/primary-elections-california

"Jungle primary" top 2 vote getters no matter which party

[Lifeafter70]

110. Yep

Many don't realize how this primary works. Both Ds and Rs are basically in the same primary and top two go on to the general.

[True Dough]

23. Yes, this is a good point.

Although it may extend a little too much credit to Republicans as strategists.

[Disaffected]

36. Ah but this is why it is such a cunning plot.

The accusers come forth early to throw those who are suspicious off-track.

[yardwork]

53. And.....?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

51. How many of those Dems have been as vocal as Swalwell against Piggy?

You are giving the MAGAt Republicans too much credit.

They'd never start a war with Iran, either, right?

[questionseverything]

55. It's not a democratic primary, it's a " jungle " primary

There could be 2 repubs facing off

[stopdiggin]

10. so all these former Democratic staffers - have reemerged as Republican operatives .. ?

(or unwitting stooges?)
Seems just a little unlikely ... - - - - - - - - - - - - -

But I don't jump on too many bandwagons either.

[ABC123Easy]

17. You are 100% correct

[LisaL]

18. It's a lot better for these accusations to have come out now,

than after the primary.

[BlueMTexpat]

25. I am a Katie Porter fan myself!

Unfortunately, I am not a California voter.

[Renew Deal]

29. It wouldn't surprise me if it came from a Democrat.

And if it’s true, It doesn’t matter who did it.

[Raine]

129. I have to agree, so much infighting. 😔 nt

[The Wizard]

33. Roger Stone did it to Al Franken.

Democrats always turn tail and run at the slightest controversy while repubes circle the wagons.

[EdmondDantes_]

38. Took 3 weeks and 6 additional women accusing Franken before the calls to resign

https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/07/al-franken-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline-senator-minnesota/

As much as Franken defenders want, you can't just blame Roger Stone for Franken's resignation.

[LymphocyteLover]

43. in Franken's case, Stone definitely got the ball rolling but yes, Franken chose to resign. He wasn't forced out.

[LymphocyteLover]

42. I don't think so. Think of it as a blessing this came out now and not further down the road.

The Dem field needed to be narrowed in CA for governor anyway.

[mikewv]

47. Agree

Swalwell was leading in the polls among democrats but behind the two republican nominees. In the "jungle primary system" dems would be shut out of the general election at this point. Maybe with Swalwell out another dem nominee can break into the top 2?

[LymphocyteLover]

122. I sure hope so!

[MorbidButterflyTat]

46. Absolutely.

I bet they're laughing their asses off watching Dems race to do the MAGAt dirty work. AGAIN.

[FiveFifteen]

48. Tee yourself up and guess what happens?

So, an opposing political party should wait until the LEAST optimal time? That ain’t rat-fuckery (which I agree exists), but it is fair game if a candidate puts themselves on a shiny silver platter.

Let the facts play out. Seems there’s definitely some smoke in need of exploring.

More important, let’s stop the “chess vs.checkers” self-hating Dem-speak. It is peak loser-ing and giving Rs way too much credit they haven’t earned. Plus, it isn’t a stretch for a D campaign to launch this.

If anything, Dems play way too much D.C. beltway consultant-industrial complex chess instead of just leaning-in on the foundational basics — while MAGA plays tic-tac-d’oh by exploiting “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” like the electoral street pimps they are with working/middle class voters.

Screw the self-defeatism. I doubt John Lewis ever wondered if the racists were playing chess while they Civil Rights Movement were playing checkers. Enough.

Let’s just make It plain. We play values vs. unprincipled, ethical vs. unethical, moral vs. immoral, constitutional vs. authoritarian.

Onward to November. 💪👊🇺🇸

[mucholderthandirt]

52. Sigh. So, we're still not believing the women. Political party doesn't matter, it's all about not believing the women.

Everything else is still excuses, excuses, excuses. Where did the thing about everybody needs to be punished? Is it because he hasn't shown up in the Epstein files? He's a Dem, so he can't be as bad as a Republican?

[Autumn]

108. So we should hang a man before we have any evidence?

I'll wait and see.

[obamanut2012]

54. 100% this

[dlk]

56. Why are these allegations only surfacing now?

Women should be believed. However, if there were so many allegations, the timing makes them look suspect.

[EdmondDantes_]

64. Did you doubt E Jean Carroll or Christine Blasey Ford?

They both waited a lot longer to make their allegations.

Believe victims. It's really hard for them to come forward in general, but especially against powerful popular men.

[dlk]

111. Apparently you missed the line in my post, "Women should be believed"

n/t

[GreenWave]

57. Has Eric responded?

I kmow Pelosi has asked him to drop out. While I respect Pelosi as a politician. I was alarmed she did not strike back vehemently at Trump that his hateful rhetoric almost got her husband killed.

Back to Eric, silence is not golden.

[33taw]

73. He did apologize to his wife for "past errors" whatever that means. Otherwise it was a denial.

[mr715]

133. It means he had lots of extramarital sex.

So...

[33taw]

134. Simply stating what he said. I don't have enough info to have an opinion.

[Jacson6]

58. Conspiracy theories always going to happen.

Why can't you accept the fact that a man got a woman passed out drunk and then raped her?

[paleotn]

59. Better chance? How about just slightly above zero chance.

That governors chair is as safe as West Virginia's is for the Pukes. This isn't 1982.

Swalwell. Just goes to show that humans are human and we should never, ever, ever, ever deify them. Period. Guilty or not, the truth will come out and if he did what's accused, then to hell with him. Lets not double standard, please.

[valleyrogue]

62. See if there is some outfit that is bankrolling them.

That is what happened with Bill Clinton and the Arkansas Project, Rutherford Institute, and all of the Scaife-backed outfits promoting "scandals" leveled against Bill Clinton. They were motivated by one thing: to prevent Democratic inroads into the GOP's "southern strategy."

The timing is highly suspect.

[hunter]

63. This perspective is bullshit.

Should we be like the Republicans, ignoring or silencing their victims?

I think not.

The Democratic Party has a deep bench of highly qualified and electable candidates who are not sex pests or abusers. We don't have to compromise. We don't have to shrug our shoulders, mutter "boys will be boys" and look away when shit like this is exposed. It's better to assume that "where there is smoke there is fire" than to dismiss the claims of credible women as some kind of hysterical morning-after regret.

It can't be all that difficult to find candidates who are not creepy and have never had the sort of sex that anyone regrets afterwards.

[jfz9580m]

120. And these are very serious allegations

It sounds like roofies in a few instances. And totally creepy and unprofessional behaviour overall.
I don’t think the Al Franken allegations were anything like this (though I did not follow them much as I was pretty tuned out at that time). Hell, I don’t think the Weiner allegations were this bad. This is rape ffs.

Women’s rights have been taking a steady beating in the last 6-7 years with the overturn of Roe v Wade, the disproportionate impact of covid on women’s livelihoods, the rise of a tacitly anti-equality strain of thought (a ghastly oped by someone called Ben Wray in the Jacobin struck me in particular). Women make up a significant portion of the dem base given that if you care about the environment, science or women’s rights at all, the U.S. is pretty much a one-party country.
There is the rare GOP candidate who may even spout some economic populism, but never support for women’s rights.

These allegations are about as serious as they get and it is up to four women:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eric-swalwell-sexual-assault-allegations_n_69d97452e4b0ccb589ece93b?origin=article-related-nonlife

The former staffer provided detailed accounts of her allegations against Swalwell, telling the Chronicle that in 2019, she blacked out after the lawmaker invited her out for drinks.
On another alleged occasion, the staffer says Swalwell tried to kiss her when she was driving him home from a meeting.

In 2024, after she was no longer working for Swalwell, the staffer says she encountered him at a charity gala and that he forced himself on her when she was drunk. In texts to a friend after the alleged incident, which were reviewed by the Chronicle, Swalwell’s accuser said she “woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point.”

Another woman told the network that she found herself intoxicated in Swalwell’s hotel room with little memory of the evening. She said the lawmaker had nonconsensually kissed her and touched her leg in a bar earlier that night.

A different woman reported a very similar experience, saying she had connected with Swalwell on Instagram in 2025 and that he sent her his phone number. She said she later met with him in person and that he touched her leg and kissed her nonconsensually and ordered her a drink. She says she later found herself in his hotel room with no memory of how she got there, and that what happened in the room is “a blur.”

I back due process obviously. But we comment all the time on stories before a full Merrick Garland style investigation is complete and these are allegations that many if not most women would recognize a familiar creepy pattern in.
I support these women as they will attacked by jerks and creeps. “Why was she so drunk?”, “why didn’t she do this or that?”

It is often a very confusing headspace women forced into creepy situations deal with as experienced professionals in these areas know.

I have been posting about the worst allegation I have seen so far against Trump-the 13 year old he tried to force into grotesque crap and then physically abused as well.

And this is no different. No woman should have to put up with shit like this.

13-Year-Old Trump Accuser Has Key Details of Her Story Verified
The story appeared in an FBI interview in the Epstein files.

https://newrepublic.com/post/207439/department-justice-posts-fbi-interviews-donald-trump-accuser-epstein

The Justice Department released FBI interviews with a woman who accused Donald Trump of beating her after he sexually assaulted her when she was a child.

The interviews took place between August and October 2019. The woman, according to her testimony, was abused by Jeffrey Epstein for years. Her name is redacted across three separate files, but her allegation against the president is clear: Trump punched her on the side of her head after she bit his penis. She was between 13 and 15 years old at the time, she told investigators, when Epstein brought her to a “very tall building with huge rooms” in either New York or New Jersey. That’s where the prolific sex trafficker introduced her to Trump, she recalled.

Trump “didn’t like that I was a boy-girl,” the woman told investigators, referencing a tomboy.

The woman claimed that she bit Trump’s penis at the time “because he disgusted her.”

“He had money, it reeked off of him,” she said.

She noted that Trump appeared jealous of Epstein, though at some point “they ended up on level playing fields.” She recalled that Trump and Epstein would sometimes use the terms “fresh meat,” “untainted,” and “not jaded” when referring to girls.

She told investigators she had two additional interactions with Trump but did not linger on the topic.

The woman claimed Epstein’s associates harassed her for years after the abuse ended, sending her numerous death threats. In one instance, she and her mother were run off a road while driving, forcing her to remain silent.

Trump is mentioned more than 38,000 times in the Epstein files, according to a New York Times review of the DOJ’s February document dump, which consisted of some three million previously unseen pages. All in all, Trump was flagged in more than 5,300 files in the document cache, according to the Times.

This stuff is all outrageous and the status of women and children in all these societies is deteriorating fast. Not to mention every other bloody thing that matters..
So sick of this shit..

[Joinfortmill]

66. I agree. Remember Joe Biden. Let's get to the truth.

[Ibapah]

72. It's the double standard

What irks me the most, and I am certain upsets many here, is the double standard. I want our leaders to be held accountable. But republicans never seem to be held accountable. By the media, by their voters, or by members of their own party. Democrats resign, drop out, get media attention, etc. Republicans get voted in as president.

[UpInArms]

76. Where is Roger stone in this?

He is always behind this crap.

[Exp]

77. I thought you were going to say how our supposed ally, Israel, is really screwing the USA over and over. My mistake. nt

[Walleye]

80. We should know our candidates better. When they tell you who they are the first time believe them.

I did not believe a word of the accusation against Joe Biden because I know him and I know he wouldn’t do it. Anybody vouching for Swalwell like that? and other men never see this kind of bad behavior because it’s only done to women.

[J_William_Ryan]

81. "repugs are playing chess while the Democrats are playing checkers."

More like Democrats play by the rules while Republicans cheat.

[cksmithy]

82. I read the San Francisco Chronicle article this morning.

Prominent Democrats are calling for him to withdraw from the race. The paper quoted the ex-staffer's boyfriend (at the time) and a few other friends, that say, she told them about the incident at the time.

There were no statements from people who worked at the staff event and or bars, where the supposed drinking to excess took place and harassment took place . The article did not say, they had seen the pictures or texts from Swalwell that would corroborate the es-staffer's story.

I tend to believe woman who complain of abuse (since as a woman who worked in offices during 1970 to 1980 when the 3 martini lunch was rampant, I've had to gently turn down jackasses, so I could keep my job.)

I'll believe the ex-staffer's story when there is corroborating story from a waitress/waiter that says Swalwell was a well known flirt/abuser or weirdo.

Also, the ex-staffer's story reads like her drink was spiked, doesn't really explain how she could she blacked out and didn't know what was going on.

The prominent Democrats should tell us what specifically made them change their support of Eric Swalwell.

[RVN VET71]

83. He deserves the same hearing as the Dem refused Franken

Until he gets that -- or issues a public statement of guilt -- I am reserving judgment.

[karynnj]

84. Actually that is not likely to be true

The reason there is concern that the top two could be the Republicans is because there are many Democrats and two Republicans running.

Swalwell called himself the frontrunner, but Steyer, Porter and Swalwell have each had polls where they were the top Democrat. Swalwell entered last and appeared to possibly have momentum, but the reason the Republicans have the top two is there is NO real frontrunner among the Democrats.

Let's assume he drops out and his numbers approach zero even though he will be on the ballot, what does that do? Let's say 10 of his 13 to 18, migrate to the top 2 Democrats. Suddenly, one or both of them are in the top 2.

[NoMoreRepugs]

86. Didn't 16 or 17 women accuse TrumpenFuhrer of the same thing and REPUBLICANS DIDNT CARE???

[MustLoveBeagles]

135. I think the number was higher than that

[Grim Chieftain]

87. Yes, if Swalwell is responsible for sexual assault, he needs be held to account

and face justice, full stop. What really ticks me off is that Republicans are pointing fingers and screaming foul while their guy is a pedophile and guilty of sexual assault. And let's not mention Bobert and her grope fest at the Beetle Juice performance.

Let me be clear, I am in favor of sexual predators being held responsible and facing legal consequences, but Republicans only seem to think it's a violation when the perpetrator is a Democrat.

God, I am so sick of this crap.

[Pluvious]

89. They did this to Al Franklin too (nt)

[in2herbs]

91. If he didn't do anything wrong IMO he should stay in the gov race and immediately file a lawsuit

against every accuser and file a demand discovery to be submitted before the Nov election.

[SpankMe]

95. No mater what, the timing is sus

I know the allegations are credible. But the primary ballots have been printed. The primary election is less than 2 months away. Swalwell was the clear frontrunner. The timimg of this allegation is perfect for maximum damage to CalDems.

What'll get Swalwell to bow out is if the cops invetigate and district attorney pursues charges. We're well within the satute of limitations, so there HAS to be an investigation. If there's no police invetigation or charges, than that means something is seriously wrong, one way or the other.

But, the CNN article seems conclusive to me. Damning, in fact. It proves that men are scum, no matter what party they're from.

I wrote a post earlier about the liklihood that we could end up with 2 repubs to chose from in Cali due to the ranked choice voting we have here now. This episode brings that disaster closer to reality. Though we're seen as pretty bright blue, there are a ton or repub voters here - enough of a supply to get R's into the governor's chair if voting Dems here are split even a tiny bit.

[Skittles]

100. it doesn't "prove that men are scum"

SOME men are scum

there are PLENTY of decent men around; heck, there are a lot of them right here on DU

[RoseTrellis]

96. Maybe a good time for this

The "Believe Women" movement, arising from the #MeToo campaign, asserts that allegations of sexual harassment or assault should be taken seriously and assumed truthful, countering the historical tendency to discredit victims. It seeks to combat systemic silence, shift the burden of proof, and foster empathy for survivors.

Meaning and Core Principles
Presumption of Truth: It argues for listening to survivors and accepting their accounts as credible, rather than defaulting to skepticism, particularly when accusing powerful individuals.

Countering Misconceptions: It challenges the false belief that false accusations are common, pointing out that true abuse is overwhelmingly more prevalent.

Addressing Structural Injustice: It focuses on the reality that existing systems often fail to protect or believe victims, thus requiring a "believe women" approach as a necessary remedy.
Cultural Shift: The movement aims to change how society handles these allegations, prioritizing support for the victim over immediate protection of the accused.

#MeToo Movement: Founded by Tarana Burke in 2006 to show the prevalence of sexual violence, it went viral in 2017 following allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

[WarGamer]

99. I don't think so...

Keeping him on the ballot increases the odds of a R vs R jungle Primary result...

I think the origin is elsewhere.

[pattyloutwo]

101. Why isn't abuse believed

When it’s a democrat?

[Initech]

104. Exactly, this is a hit job.

Trump hates Swalwell. But we can't let Steve Hilton win. Fuck that guy.

[liberal N proud]

105. The reactions here spotlight the hypocrisy of the republicans

While they protect a pedophile without question, they have convicted Swalwel

[Pisces]

106. No matter what he is guilty of making bad decisions!!!

[GJGCA]

107. I'm a California voter...

...and when Speaker Pelosi speaks (is that alliteration?), I listen. YMMV

On edit: no, it's polyptoton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyptoton

[Martin68]

109. I love the quote, ""Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds / Or bends with the remover to remove."

Pure genius.

[GJGCA]

112. Epanalepsis, on the other hand...

... is a classical rhetorical figure in which a sentence or clause begins and ends with the same word or phrase.

Examples:

The king is dead, long live the king!

He smiled the most exquisite smile, veiled by memory, tinged by dreams. (Virginia Woolf: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/to-the-lighthouse)

[pansypoo53219]

114. they are at war, we are playing by the rules.

[live love laugh]

117. They have abandoned the rules especially the rule of law.

[pansypoo53219]

130. full scale cheating for sure.

[Locutusofborg]

115. Swalwell"s Staff Has Thrown Him Under the Bus

Both California primary staff and Washington DC staff have issued a statement:
“We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward. We believe you should stand with them, too. The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians.”--Washington Post

[live love laugh]

116. Who always benefits from these things? That's where the focus should also be.

[IcyPeas]

119. This news about Swalwell sucks.... but

The Epstein Files are worse.

And the news is all over one story and not the other.

[raising2moredems]

124. Face the facts..

Like when Rauner was gov in IL, the dem majorities in the house and senate neutered him. Dude didn't know how to deal with Madigan.
I too smell a skunk but after all, pedophiles are a protected people in the little "r" party.

[LT Barclay]

125. I think the difference is that the republicans support the nastiest, hidden elements of the government. They are the

swamp, they are the deep state. The ones we see are only the tip of the iceberg. What we don't see are those that are willing to kill, blackmail, subvert, destroy for an agenda that only benefits the super-wealthy.

[Clouds Passing]

126. I hear roger stone was in on this

[kacekwl]

127. Until there is proof of misconduct he should not step down. If

he sent pictures and other inappropriate communication show it to the DA now if not then it's B S. If he knows there is shit he did I would hope he resigns before it is proven and he goes to jail. I'm tired of democrats being shamed out of office