While Rep. Eric Swalwell’s colleagues, including his reported best friend, have all denied being aware of his alleged bad behavior with women, critics say they’re lying.
Take the case of Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego, who’s been described by some as Swalwell’s “best friend” in Congress.
“I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Gallego said in a social media statement. “I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew.”
I support the ethics committee’s investigation and believe Eric Swalwell is no longer fit to be a Member of Congress. He should be expelled from Congress.
I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric…
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) April 13, 2026
Gallego later doubled down in remarks to reporters, telling them that Swalwell had led a “double life” and that he’d had “no clue” about it.
Listen:
In a brief interview outside the Capitol tonight, Gallego told me and @migold that Swalwell led a “double life” and he never suspected he was pursuing staff as has been alleged. pic.twitter.com/fU5txk0qUL
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) April 13, 2026
The two have reportedly been friends since Gallego was a House member from 2015 to 2025.
During the COVID pandemic, the two famously traveled to Qatar together with their wives:
Remember during Covid when Swalwell was screaming and scolding Republicans for not wearing masks, then he flew over to Qatar with Ruben Gallego ($84,000 trip paid for by a lobbyist) and they rode around shirtless and maskless on camels. 🤡 Swalwell 🤡 is Make Camels Great Again. pic.twitter.com/vpgyMm0L4Y
— Saint James Hartline (@JamesHartline) May 8, 2023
The problem for Gallego is that many people don’t believe him, especially in light of all the evidence of the two men’s close friendship.
“You are a liar and you hung out with him on trips – you saw his behavior and kept your mouth shut,” one critic tweeted. “Now you want to save your neck, good luck! You are just like Eric.”
“You are a complete and utter liar,” another critic added. “You knew Swallwell was a predator and you thought he was a cool guy and chose to ride camels shirtless with him in Egypt During Covid!!”
Some also pointed to his own history of bad behavior, namely him reportedly filing divorce papers while his ex-wife was pregnant.
There’s also this flashback example from 2009:
FLASHBACK: In 2009, the Arizona Republic reported that now-Senator Ruben Gallego, then a top aide to a Phoenix City Councilman, verbally harassed a female intern and “berated and intimidated her in front of co-workers.”
Gallageo allegedly yelled and pounded his desk.
The aid… https://t.co/olNHr9Ry46 pic.twitter.com/L9mZ28G05g
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 13, 2026
Gallego isn’t alone in his denials. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also maintained total innocence.
“Some Republicans and others are saying that Democrats turned kind of a blind eye, that they knew what he was up to or what the allegations were,” a C-SPAN interviewer asked her on Monday.
“No, that’s not true,” Pelosi replied. “It’s true that they may say that, but it is absolutely not true.”
“You had no idea?” the interviewer pressed.
“None whatsoever,” Pelosi responded. “None whatsoever. I had none whatsoever.”
Listen:
A flustered Nancy Pelosi denies that Democrats knew what Swalwell was doing and turned a blind eye:
Pelosi: “Absolutely not true.”
Interviewer: “You had no idea?”
Pelosi: “None whatsoever.”
Sure thing, Nance. pic.twitter.com/MmVHf3Wt3x
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 14, 2026
Like with Gallego, there were many doubters.
“If the Democratic Party does not know that Eric Swalwell is a pervert, sleazebag, sexual abuser and a domestic rapist, then the Democratic Party is the dumbest party on Earth with no sense of situational awareness, pattern recognition, and judge of character,” one critic wrote.
Included among the doubters were even those who consider her to be a “brilliant politician.”
“If she didn’t know then she is mentally retarded and was terrible at her job of policing her own state’s representatives,” one such critic opined. “I don’t believe either of those to be true, she is a brilliant politician and undoubtedly had done colonoscopies on every CA Democrat representative.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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