Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego claimed he was betrayed by his former “best friend” Eric Swalwell and said in an emotional news conference that he is now under attack by right-wing operatives hoping to tie him to the former congressman’s alleged sex crimes.
Swalwell resigned from Congress on April 14, days after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. The former Democratic lawmaker also ended his campaign for California governor in light of the shocking allegations.
“Eric knew exactly what he was doing. He manipulated me,” said Gallego, a longtime friend of Swalwell who chaired his 2020 presidential campaign.
It was a stunning reversal for Gallego, who initially defended Swalwell against rumors of misconduct but changed his position after the San Francisco Chronicle published a report in which a former Swalwell staffer said he sexually assaulted her.
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Other victims have come forward with claims that Swalwell raped them. Swalwell denied any wrongdoing in a written statement posted to social media.
Gallego sought to distance himself from Swalwell in a 35-minute news conference Tuesday with reporters in Washington, D.C.
He said he had heard rumors that Swalwell was “flirty” in the past but “had no knowledge of predatory behavior, sexual assault or harassment.” He denied any involvement in Swalwell’s alleged crimes and said the California Democrat lied to him.
Gallego took aim at his former Senate opponent, Republican Kari Lake, and President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita.
“I called this today because there's just a lot of rumors going around about me, about my family. And you know, unfortunately, this is not the first time. I had to deal with the same BS in 2024 and 2023 when they ran millions and millions of dollars of smears against me, lied about me, lied about my family, and it’s the same damn people again. Kari Lake, Chris LaCivita, a bunch of political operatives. What they couldn't do in 2024, try and do again in 2026,” Gallego said.
Gallego has been a prominent figure in the Democratic Party since he defeated Lake in 2024. He is considering a 2028 presidential campaign.
Swalwell and Gallego had a longstanding friendship, with Gallego telling reporters that he went through “some of the hardest moments” of his life with Swalwell by his side.
They “socialized” and “went out,” Gallego told reporters. Their families ate dinner together, they cared for each other’s children and their kids attended the same baseball camp, according to Gallego.
“We all heard rumors in Washington, D.C., about Eric Swalwell for many years,” Gallego said, though he did not look into them until recently.
Their close friendship clouded his judgment about the rumors, Gallego said.
“Washington, D.C., there's just rumors all the time,” Gallego said. “They're just floating all the time.”
Before the Chronicle published its report, chatter about allegations against Swalwell circulated online, fueled by social media influencers.
When Gallego confronted his friend about the claims, he said Swalwell denied them and compared the situation to attacks that Gallego faced from Republicans on the campaign trail.
“He reminded me of how it was very similar to the things that happened to me in 2024, and honestly, that was triggering,” Gallego said. “I fell for it … And when he asked me to defend him, I acted like a loyal friend, unlike how he acted towards me, and I did it. And I regret it. I regret it. I was absolutely wrong. I should have waited.”
A few days later, Gallego changed his mind after he read the newspaper report. He withdrew his endorsement of Swalwell’s campaign for governor.
“I called him the day, a few minutes after I read that article, and I told him, drop out,” Gallego said.
Gallego accused his former friend of living a “double life” and said he believes the women who came forward with allegations of abuse. He called on Swalwell to leave Congress a few minutes before the California lawmaker turned in his letter of resignation this week.
“I was manipulated. I was lied to, and everyone else was, too,” Gallego said. “I let him into my circle and trusted my family with him, and I deeply regret it.”
Gallego also denied ever having engaged in sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior toward his staff, other staff or women outside of his marriage.
Gallego said that he’ll comply with any legal requests seeking his text messages with Swalwell, whether it be subpoenas, ethics investigations or lawsuits.
The Arizona Democrat declined to proactively release his text messages with Swalwell for the public to see but said he has “nothing to hide.”
“I'm being completely transparent and honest with you about what I knew, when I knew it. We're here to be open. We're here to answer questions. And, you know, if we're told we will work, comply with anybody else. But you know, there's nothing here to hide,” Gallego said.
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