Attorneys representing Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign issued legal threats to rival Tom Steyer’s campaign in an effort to suppress rumors of sexual misconduct and extramarital affairs just weeks before multiple women came forward with accusations of rape and sexual assault against Swalwell.
Records obtained by The California Post show that on March 20, attorneys for Swalwell sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ryan Hughes, general counsel for Steyer's campaign. The letter accused Hughes of spreading false and defamatory claims after he had contacted former Swalwell staffers about allegations of misconduct.
Swalwell's attorneys asserted in the letter that there was "no truth" to allegations of inappropriate relationships between Swalwell and interns and demanded that the Steyer campaign cease its inquiries. Attorney Stephen Shackelford wrote that "this type of campaigning—where your staff suggests, without one iota of detail, let alone evidence, that Congressman Swalwell has engaged in improper conduct—is precisely the kind of spreading of misinformation that we should all be united against."
Shackelford also expressed concern that the Steyer campaign was "weaponizing a very serious subject matter to serve your own political purposes, to the detriment of actual victims of such wrongs." He concluded, "Again, you are on notice that these claims are false. They are also defamatory. And the tactics are beneath what we would hope to see from you and your campaign."
Yardena Wolf, Swalwell’s then-chief of staff, business partner, and campaign manager, also texted Hughes a copy of the cease-and-desist notice from her personal cellphone. Wolf highlighted that Shackelford had represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation case against Fox News and warned that the matter would be referred to the California State Bar.
Wolf’s message stated, "You may recognize the lawyer’s name. He took down Fox News for $1B for defamation on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems. We will also be sending to CA Bar." Dominion's lawsuit ultimately settled for $787.5 million.
The legal pressure campaign from Swalwell's team reportedly followed Hughes contacting Shannon Fuller, a former Swalwell aide, seeking information about the rumors. A source familiar with the outreach suggested Fuller may have alerted Swalwell's team, prompting the legal response.
On April 10, multiple women publicly accused Swalwell of rape, sexual assault, and other misconduct. Swalwell, who is married, denied the criminal allegations while admitting he had made "mistakes in judgment." He subsequently suspended his campaign for governor and resigned from Congress.
Sara Azari, an attorney who received more than $300,000 in payments from Swalwell's campaign, defended the legal strategy, stating, "Mr. Swalwell’s campaign issued a cease-and-desist letter to address false and defamatory claims that have been circulated publicly."
Swalwell's campaign is currently under state ethics investigation regarding payments to Azari. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed its criminal investigation into allegations by Lonna Drewes, a former model who accused Swalwell of drugging, choking, and raping her, remains active. Swalwell has not been charged in connection with these allegations.