Former Congressman Eric Swalwell is reportedly using private investigators to track down past staff members who might have information about his alleged sexual misconduct. One of his ex-aides is currently cooperating with a Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into these claims.
Swalwell’s attorney, Sarah Azari, has engaged intelligence agents from Bo Dietl & Associates in New York to speak with at least one former staffer about Swalwell’s actions while in office. This was reported by NOTUS.
According to sources, an investigator told the former aide that they wanted to “get to the bottom” of the situation and could avoid a subpoena if the aide chose to cooperate. The ex-employee reportedly felt uneasy and ended the call.
Azari has disputed these reports, asserting that no one from Swalwell’s team has contacted this individual regarding a subpoena. She emphasized that Swalwell lacks the authority to issue such subpoenas because there have been no formal charges or lawsuits against him regarding these accusations.
Interestingly, Azari gained some notoriety for her comments on a live broadcast where she suggested, “regret is not rape.” She has also been disclosed to have received at least $40,000 from Swalwell’s failed gubernatorial campaign.
These payments became public through campaign filings up until mid-April. Swalwell recently halted his gubernatorial bid after facing serious allegations, including raping a former staffer while intoxicated and sexually harassing several women following a charity event in New York in 2024.
Rona Drews has also accused Swalwell of drugging and raping her at a hotel in Los Angeles back in 2018.
An anonymous campaign and election attorney suggested that all spending on private investigators should be reported openly. They remarked that controversial expenses shouldn’t be hidden, stressing that if a private investigator was utilized, it should be clear in the financial records.
The former employee who has accused Swalwell is cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney regarding their claims. She alleges that Swalwell sexually assaulted her while she was too inebriated to give consent and that he also had nonconsensual contact with her in 2019 when she worked for him.
Swalwell has firmly denied all allegations, although he has suggested there might have been “mistakes.” In a social media statement, he labeled the sexual assault allegations as “completely false” and insisted they had never occurred.
Election law experts pointed out that California law prohibits candidates from utilizing campaign funds to cover settlements or penalties for sexual misconduct claims. They noted that if any campaign funds are misused in such a manner, the individual responsible would be required to reimburse those amounts.
