Allegations Against Former Congressman Eric Swalwell: A Woman Speaks Out
Accusations of Inappropriate Conduct
Annika Albrecht has publicly accused former US Congressman Eric Swalwell of sending her inappropriate messages and inviting her to a hotel room, initially presenting himself as a mentor. In an interview with CBS News, Albrecht recounted their meeting during a college class trip, after which Swalwell began reaching out to her. Their conversations, which started professionally, shifted to Snapchat at his request, where the tone became increasingly inappropriate, culminating in an invitation to meet at a hotel. "I keep thinking about how fortunate I am that I didn’t go to that hotel," she reflected. "The implications were clear." Albrecht mentioned that she ceased communication with him shortly after and described the experience as deeply unsettling.
In a separate incident, another woman has accused Swalwell of sexual assault in New York in 2024, claiming she was heavily intoxicated after a charity event. She stated, "I was pushing him off of me, saying no. He didn’t stop." The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating this allegation.
“We’re not walking away from this fight”: Two accusers of Congressman Eric Swalwell are sharing their accusations and decisions to come forward. Annika Albrecht, Ally Sammarco and influencer Cheyenne Hunt, who helped get their stories out, spoke exclusively with CBS News’… pic.twitter.com/7kEf41jAb2
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 14, 2026
Albrecht expressed her concerns after speaking with other women who have also accused Swalwell, sharing their experiences of waking up next to him with no memory of how they got there. Swalwell, a Democrat from California, resigned from Congress and withdrew from the gubernatorial race amid these allegations. Multiple women have come forward with claims ranging from sending explicit messages to sharing unsolicited images. In a social media statement, Swalwell acknowledged his "mistakes in judgment" but denied the most severe allegations. He stated, "I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make." Albrecht believes that true accountability is essential, stating, "Justice wouldn’t be served for me until he can’t ever harm a woman ever again — and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed."