Amid Mounting Swalwell Claims, DA Says No Victims Have Come Forward In Alameda County

ALAMEDA, CA — As former Congressman Eric Swalwell continues to deal with the fallout of a series of sexual assault allegations against him, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office says it will pursue a case if any local victims decide to come forward.

"I need victims of sexual assault to know that we don't use pain for gain," Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said during a press conference Thursday morning. "We need them to know that their privacy and their agency will be protected by this office at all costs."

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Swalwell appeared to be a shoo-in for California's next governor until allegations began circulating online that he had engaged in inappropriate behavior with multiple young congressional staffers.

Swalwell denied the claims, saying they were politically motivated. Soon after, the seven-term lawmaker suspended his campaign for governor.

"If it’s conspicuous, the timing of this, it’s because it’s just no coincidence that this is now being done as a political hit job on the eve of, you know, a governor run in California where he was leading the race, " Swalwell’s defense attorney, Sara Azar,i said during an appearance on NewsNation earlier this month.

In the days that followed his departure from the race, at least one other woman accused Swalwell of assault, saying he drugged and raped her years ago.

"My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear, not doubt," Drewes said at the news conference, published online. Fear of his political power, his background as an attorney, and his family law enforcement ties. I have never doubted what happened."

Despite a series of allegations against the embattled former congressman, nobody has come forward to local police departments or the district attorney's office to file an official report in Alameda County, Dickson said, where Swalwell once worked as a prosecutor.

Swalwell served in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office from 2006 to 2012. Dickson says it's unclear if there was any wrongdoing on Swalwell's part during his time there.

With no victim, Dickson says her office can't move forward with any investigation.

Instead, for now, they're focusing their efforts on engaging potential victims with resources.

During the conference on Thursday, Dickson addressed potential victims, informing them of their legal rights and warning them not to call random hotlines to talk about their experiences.

Dickson said any hotlines not associated with the county or local law enforcement are not confidential, nor are their motivations to acquire information from potential victims clear.

Victims need to know, Dickson said, that the Alameda County District Attorney's Office won't put them at risk by politicizing their cases.

"Sexual assault is not a game, it's not a talking point," Dickson said. "Its a reality that continues to haunt us at the local level through the international level."

Swalwell, who has since resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives, is currently being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office into an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2024.

The Department of Justice and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office have also opened investigations into Swalwell.