Inside the sudden downfall of Eric Swalwell | CNN Politics

As one California Democrat prepared to formally endorse Rep. Eric Swalwell for governor this spring, the lawmaker hesitated. They had heard rumors the married father of three slept around in Washington and worried about putting their name behind him in a crucial contest. This member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, was clear they had not heard about the now-public allegations of criminal sexual assault or relationships with subordinates in Congress, which is a violation of House ethics rules. But when this member had asked about the rumored infidelity — which Democrats on Capitol Hill widely described to CNN as an “open secret” — they were assured by some of Swalwell’s close friends that all the rumors were “just activities before he was married” and encouraged to formally back him in the race. This person was not alone: Other members also directly questioned Swalwell and his team about what would happen if his history of womanizing in Washington came out publicly, only to be brushed off by his team, another person confirmed. Gavin Newsom faces growing pressure to intervene in a scrambled California governor’s race Weeks later, that Californ