Democratic Representative from California announced on Monday that he will step down from Congress following several allegations of sexual assault. He is married to Brittany Watts.
The attention on Swalwell’s family arises as his political career swiftly deteriorates, with the lawmaker withdrawing from the race for governorship on Sunday prior to declaring his resignation from the House of Representatives.
Watts, who has mostly kept a low profile during her husband’s tenure in office, has not made any public statements as the allegations and Swalwell’s resignation bring renewed focus on his personal affairs.
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Eric Swalwell ‘could be facing jail soon’, says Anna Paulina Luna
Swalwell “could be facing jail,” said Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican, citing an unverified video that is currently circulating online, which she claims raises concerns of criminal activity.
In a post on X on Monday, accompanied by a clip from a Fox News interview, Luna, a member of the House Oversight Committee, stated: “Based on a forensic report I’ve seen, Eric Swalwell could be facing jail soon. He did the right thing by resigning, but his troubles aren’t over yet.”
Luna further expressed her belief that is facing significant criminal issues and could potentially end up in jail, referencing what she characterized as a forensic evaluation pertaining to a video that seemingly depicts a man resembling Swalwell in a private setting, engaging in a kiss with a woman on a bed.
HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. However, Luna, as per Newsweek, claimed that she had been informed the person who recorded the video might have been a minor.
Inside Swalwell’s private life: All we know about wife Brittany Watts, kids and threats to family
According to Swalwell’s wedding announcement published by The New York Times, he and Watts were married in October 2016. The couple first met in 2015 through mutual acquaintances and share three children: Nelson, Cricket, and Hank.
During Swalwell’s congressional career, which commenced in 2013, they maintained a residence in California. However, in 2020, he also acquired a $1.2 million home in the Eckington neighborhood of , D.C., reported the San Jose Mercury News.
Watts has largely pursued a career independent of her husband’s political endeavors. At the time of their marriage, she held the position of director of sales at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Half Moon Bay, , according to the Times.
In Swalwell’s congressional biography, she is described as a small-business owner within the hospitality sector. She has generally steered clear of political engagements or frequent public appearances, even as her husband gained national prominence through impeachment proceedings and congressional inquiries.
Watts has made occasional appearances with Swalwell at community events and in interviews, but she has otherwise kept a low public profile. As scrutiny of Swalwell increased amid allegations and his decision to resign from office, she has refrained from making public statements and has stayed out of the public eye during the ongoing political and legal issues.
Swalwell has previously said that he and his family have faced threats, including death threats, related to his political activities, as per Newsweek. In February, he informed lawmakers that callers had threatened violence against him, his wife, and their children, urging federal authorities, including FBI Director , to take these threats seriously.
Sexual allegations against Eric Swalwell
The Chronicle, along with CNN, reported that a woman has accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her on two occasions, one of which occurred while she was employed by him.
Later, CNN disclosed that three more women have accused him of various types of sexual misconduct, which includes sending unsolicited explicit messages or nude images.
As allegations against Swalwell surfaced in the past few weeks, there was a brief shift in focus towards his family after he made public statements admitting to personal “mistakes” while refuting the allegations.
