Eric Swalwell’s campaign is over, whether he admits it or not

Eric Swalwell’s campaign for governor is over, whether he admits it or not.

For weeks, salacious talk swirled in campaign circles, ricocheted through email chains and was served up, like a buzzy side dish, over gossipy lunches from Sacramento to San Diego.

The talk revolved around the 45-year-old East Bay congressman, one of the top Democratic contenders in the crowded contest. The rumors involved allegations of inappropriate behavior with young staffers.

Pressed by rival camps, pursued by the political press corps, the claims were largely confined to unvetted corners of the internet until Tuesday, when Swalwell’s campaign issued a public statement denying any wrongdoing.

The move was a prebuttal. Strategists figured it better to address the online innuendo, even if it meant exposing the allegations to a much wider audience. The campaign’s statement was followed hours later by a categorical denial from the congressman himself.

“It’s false,” Swalwell told reporters. He said he never behaved inappropriately with female staff members or had a sexual relationship with any staffer or intern. There were no quiet legal settlements, he said. No hiding behind nondisclosure agreements.

His adamant assertions recall President Clinton’s emphatic, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky” — a similar point-blank, politically calculated denial, which blew up in his face.

On Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle published a lengthy report — filled with highly specific and graphic detail — quoting a woman who worked nearly two years for Swalwell, stating she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss. Twice, she alleged, he sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent.

Instantly, the bottom fell out of Swalwell’s campaign.

The woman, who is 17 years younger than the congressman, said he began pursuing her within weeks of her hiring at age 21 to work in his district office in the East Bay Area. That was in 2019.

The woman said she largely kept quiet about Swalwell’s behavior out of fear she would suffer personal and professional consequences. She told the Chronicle she did not share her account with authorities because she was afraid they would not believe her.

Swalwell issued another categorical denial.

“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” he said in a statement, exaggerating somewhat his status in the neck-and-neck gubernatorial race. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women.

“I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action,” Swalwell said. “My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

Hours later, CNN reported that three other women had recounted various kinds of sexual misconduct, including the congressman sending them explicit messages or nude photos.

Even before the Chronicle published its article, once the privately bandied rumors were suddenly out in the open, you could almost hear the sound of a dam bursting. Swalwell’s competitors were quick to amplify the assertions, grappling for advantage in a race that remains stubbornly knotted up.

“Very, very troubling,” said fellow Democrat Katie Porter. “Deeply troubling,” echoed Betty Yee, another of the Democratic hopefuls.

A third Democrat running, Antonio Villaraigosa, was more inventive, accusing Swalwell “of skipping town” — he did not attend a Wednesday candidate forum in Sacramento — “as more and more women come forward with sexual harassment allegations.”

At that point no one with firsthand knowledge had come forward to contradict Swalwell’s denial of wrongdoing.

But as soon as the Chronicle published its report, opponents escalated their attacks. Each of his major Democratic rivals for governor and the two leading Republicans called on Swalwell to quit the race.

They were hardly alone.

California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a parade of Democratic lawmakers and colleagues who urged Swalwell to abandon his effort. Some urged him to give up his congressional seat.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who chaired Swalwell’s campaign, resigned from the role and also called on Swalwell to drop out. He was one of several campaign strategists and staffers who bailed on the campaign.

The powerful California Teachers Assn. quickly withdrew its endorsement and on Saturday other major labor unions followed suit.

On Friday night, the congressman posted on social media a direct-to-camera denial of the allegations. The one-minute, 20-second clip had the feel of a shadowy, hostage video.

Looking grim, Swalwell said the accusations leveled at him were “flat [out] false,” though he allowed as how he was neither perfect nor a saint. His transgressions, he said, “were between me and my wife. And to her I apologize deeply for putting her in this position.”

Swalwell said he would spend the weekend with his family and friends, which is understandable and probably necessary. “I look forward to updating you soon,” he concluded.

That presumably means an announcement he is formally exiting the race. Anything less would be utter delusion on Swalwell’s part. His campaign is dead. Very likely his political career as well. (Swalwell opted to run for governor instead of seeking reelection to his congressional seat.)

Along with his tattered reputation, Swalwell trails a skein of questions. Among them: If the allegations are true, what could he possibly have been thinking? Not just forcing himself on his alleged victims, but running for governor knowing what he’d done and the likelihood his past would surface in such devastating fashion?

His answers may come in time, or not. They’re now immaterial to the race for governor.

Swalwell, while running near the top of the pack, was garnering less than 20% support in most polls, so it’s not as though his implosion will bring a seismic shift in the race. But in a contest where just a few percentage points separate candidates vying in the June 2 primary for two slots in a November runoff, even a marginal shift can be consequential.

The most unpredictable, wide-open California governor’s race in a generation has just gotten even more wide open and unpredictable.