The Swalwell resignation represents a swift political collapse triggered by sexual misconduct allegations reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on Friday, April 10. Four women came forward with claims ranging from sexual assault to unsolicited explicit messages; the most serious came from a former staffer who worked in his office and alleged two instances of sexual assault when she was too intoxicated to consent, including one in 2019 when she woke up naked in a hotel room with no memory of the encounter. CNN corroborated key elements of the women's stories through text messages, interviews with friends and family, and medical records related to at least one claim. Within 48 hours, Swalwell lost all 21 endorsements from fellow Democratic members of Congress, and his campaign co-chairs resigned and Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego withdrew their endorsements.

While it was not yet clear whether an effort to expel Swalwell would succeed, some members of his own party had begun plotting how to remove him from the House after reading details of the alleged sexual misconduct with disgust, with some Democrats privately signaling they would be willing to vote to oust Swalwell only if Republicans did the same for one of their own embattled colleagues. A plan had emerged for Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida to each draft an expulsion measure to force separate removal votes targeting members who had publicly faced allegations of wrongdoing. Swalwell argued expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong, but it's also wrong for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties, which observers interpreted as him believing votes might have existed to expel him.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office opened a criminal investigation into the allegation of sexual assault that took place in New York, meaning the resignation does not end legal jeopardy. The case raises unresolved questions about how Congress handles sexual misconduct allegations and whether voluntary resignation effectively ends accountability, particularly compared to the expulsion process which would require documented findings of wrongdoing.

Left-leaning sources used language emphasizing credibility and courage, describing allegations as serious, credible, and demand accountability, with the accuser showing extraordinary courage in coming forward. Right-aligned coverage referenced Swalwell's arguments that allegations were false and politically motivated, with his attorney describing them as a coordinated effort.