Eric Swalwell, who has faced serious allegations, has reportedly shelled out over $313,000 to a law firm in order to combat claims of sexual misconduct, according to his recent campaign finance reports.
During the period from April 19 to May 16, Swalwell’s campaign disbursed $273,251 to Sara Azari’s New York law firm in two installments, with one being $250,000 and the other $23,251, specifically labeled as payments for “campaign compliance.”
This is in addition to a previous payment of $40,000 he made to her for public defense.
Swalwell, who has stepped back from the gubernatorial race and resigned from Congress amidst these accusations, has maintained a low profile recently. Notably, his name will still be on the June 2 gubernatorial primary ballot, which serves as a reminder to voters that he remains part of the race—at least for now.
Azari claims her focus is on “allegations of sexual misconduct in the post-#MeToo landscape.”
In an interview with NewsNation, she defended Swalwell, suggesting that his alleged victims were merely ashamed of their encounters with him. She stated, “Repentance is not rape,” arguing that feeling regret later doesn’t equate to an experience of sexual assault.
Swalwell’s issues are spilling over into his personal life too. His wife, Brittany, was recently seen without her wedding ring near their $1.2 million home in Washington, D.C.
The last time Swalwell commented publicly on the allegations was on April 10, when he released a video on social media denying any wrongdoing.
