Former Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell (Calif.) was once known as “the Snapchat king of Congress.” Now, he’s accused of using the same medium to send sexual messages to several women.
These messages allegedly include “videos of him masturbating,” CNNreported.
The media outlet spoke to “more than a dozen” women who said Swalwell made them uncomfortable — both in person and online.
Several women said he sent them sexually explicit messages on Snapchat after he became “one of the first lawmakers to join Snapchat.” At that time, he was called “the Snapchat king of Congress,” according to CNN.
“We can restore a lot of faith that people have in their democracy by opening it up a little bit more,” Swalwell told The Hill in 2016. “Snapchat is a great way to do that.”
But he allegedly found other ways to use Snapchat.
One woman claimed Swalwell would send her Snapchat messages about her future and would then ask, “What are you wearing?”
Two other women told CNN Swalwell sent them “sexually explicit messages and unsolicited nude photos and videos of himself” in 2021. Another woman also claimed he sent “sexually tinged messages and videos.”
One former congressional staffer allegedly had a consensual sexual relationship with Swalwell after he began flirting with her on Snapchat in 2021.
Swalwell reportedly sent “nude photos of himself and videos of him masturbating. These videos showed his “face and naked body.”
The videos, which were saved by the woman, were shown to CNN.
“His stories would be his, like, congressional content, but then he would be sending me dick pics,” she alleged. She said Swalwell sent her another “explicit video” late last year, a few weeks before he announced his 2026 California gubernatorial campaign.
In another case, Swalwell allegedly wrote a letter of recommendation for a woman he had never met after sending her Snapchat messages about her “sexy pajamas.”
Clara Miklaucic was 19 years old and working as a restaurant hostess at the time when Swalwell tracked her down on LinkedIn.
He then sent her flirty messages and offered to write a letter of recommendation. He told her her name was “beautiful” after speaking with her for less than 15 minutes while dining at the restaurant in 2021.
“I remember being surprised getting a message from him since I didn’t give him any information, other than probably my first name,” she told CNN. “He was literally over double my age.”
According to the report, another woman told CNN she reminded Swalwell he was “married with three kids” after he added her on Snapchat and “suggested that they hang out.”
After CNN reached out to Swalwell’s lawyer for comment, Swalwell allegedly confronted several women for taking screenshots of his messages.
