If irony were a political currency, Eric Swalwell would be rolling in it right now.
The former Democratic lawmaker — once eager to sell himself as a tech-savvy bridge between Washington and the people — is now at the center of a jaw-dropping scandal that turns his “faith in democracy” pitch into something far more lurid.
According to a bombshell report from CNN, more than a dozen women have come forward describing a pattern of behavior that paints a deeply uncomfortable picture: unsolicited sexual messages, explicit videos, and late-night digital encounters that had little to do with public service.
And yes — this all allegedly unfolded after Swalwell proudly jumped onto Snapchat back in 2016, declaring:
“We can restore a lot of faith that people have in their democracy by opening it up a little bit more… Snapchat is a great way to do that.” Well, mission accomplished — just not in the way voters might have expected.
Swalwell was once hyped as one of the first members of Congress to embrace Snapchat, even earning the nickname “Snapchat king of Congress.” But behind the curated political stories, several women say a very different stream of content was flowing privately.
One woman recalled how conversations that started innocently enough quickly veered into uncomfortable territory. After discussing her future, Swalwell allegedly pivoted to questions like:
“What are you wearing?”
Others say it escalated far beyond awkward flirting.
Two women claimed they received “sexually explicit messages and unsolicited nude photos and videos of himself” in 2021. Another described similar “sexually tinged messages and videos.” That’s not exactly the kind of transparency the Founding Fathers had in mind.
One of the most explosive accounts comes from a former congressional staffer who says a consensual relationship developed after Swalwell initiated contact on Snapchat.
According to her, the relationship included: “nude photos of himself and videos of him masturbating,” with footage clearly showing his “face and naked body.”
She says she saved the material — and even shared it with reporters. “His stories would be his, like, congressional content, but then he would be sending me dick pics.”
She also claims the messages didn’t stop — alleging that as recently as late last year, just weeks before launching a 2026 gubernatorial bid, Swalwell sent yet another explicit video.
The report also raises eyebrows about how a sitting congressman interacted with young women outside his political orbit.
One woman said Swalwell offered to write her a recommendation letter despite never meeting her in person — after messaging her about her “sexy pajamas.”
Another, Clara Miklaucic, was just 19 and working as a restaurant hostess when Swalwell allegedly tracked her down on LinkedIn after a brief interaction.
Her reaction says it all:
“I remember being surprised getting a message from him since I didn’t give him any information, other than probably my first name… He was literally over double my age.”
Yet another woman said she had to remind the married father of three of a basic fact: he was “married with three kids” after he suggested they hang out.
After reporters began asking questions, Swalwell allegedly reached out to multiple women — in the early morning hours — confronting them about screenshots of his messages. Because nothing says innocence quite like a 2 a.m. scramble.
Swalwell once pitched Snapchat as a tool to “open up” democracy. Instead, according to these allegations, it became a private pipeline for behavior that raises serious ethical — and political — questions.
And as voters size up candidates in an already skeptical era, one thing is certain: the gap between public image and private conduct has rarely looked this wide.
