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orangecrush

(30,561 posts)
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:10 PM 19 hrs ago

Is Swalwell being rat fucked? (Poll)


Don't have enough information to take a hard side, but the timing seems suspicious.

If true, he should own this

If not, we are being Frankened again.


222 votes, 8 passes | Time left: Unlimited
Yes, this is the same Roger Stone play book
56 (25%)
No, he should leave politics completely
23 (10%)
Not enough information to call
143 (64%)
Show usernames
Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll
72 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Is Swalwell being rat fucked? (Poll) (Original Post) orangecrush 19 hrs ago OP
Food for thought... ultralite001 19 hrs ago #1
Option 5: Did he ratfuck himself? leftstreet 19 hrs ago #2
If he and his wife made nice after whatever it was he did Attilatheblond 19 hrs ago #7
He's still in the House. Wiz Imp 11 hrs ago #52
Short timer, so not really still in Attilatheblond 11 hrs ago #54
Huh? Every member of the House is only currently serving through the end of the year. Wiz Imp 1 hr ago #72
No, this goes to judgement, which he showed very little of!! He put himself in the position to be blackmailed, Pisces 11 hrs ago #57
Option 6: When this shit comes up in the middle of a campaign, we should be very skeptical Bluetus 18 hrs ago #9
"this shit." You mean like rape? leftstreet 18 hrs ago #10
No. I mean like character assassination Bluetus 18 hrs ago #14
"This is obviously not about a rape." I...would not say that's obvious. WhiskeyGrinder 18 hrs ago #16
I understand there are reasons people don't like to speak up. Bluetus 17 hrs ago #29
"They have had nine years to speak up and they chose this particular moment to bring a charge?" WhiskeyGrinder 17 hrs ago #34
You are seriously asking a question regarding why sexual assault is (commonly/frequently) not reported? stopdiggin 18 hrs ago #19
Don't be a reactionary, putting words in my mouth. Bluetus 17 hrs ago #30
At least one of the alleged assaults was in 2024. nt pnwmom 16 hrs ago #44
He is being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's office DemocratSinceBirth 12 hrs ago #50
Sigh n/t leftstreet 18 hrs ago #20
He allegedly sent unsolicited dick picks DemocratSinceBirth 16 hrs ago #39
If true, that should be disqualifying Bluetus 13 hrs ago #46
Snapchat deletes messages so no EdmondDantes_ 11 hrs ago #60
There are some related facts that appear to have been corroborated. pnwmom 16 hrs ago #43
Jean Carroll didn't bring up her being assaulted until years lster onenote 12 hrs ago #47
And that weighed heavily against her charges Bluetus 12 hrs ago #48
Christine Blasey Ford tulipsandroses 17 hrs ago #32
Not enough info MustLoveBeagles 19 hrs ago #3
Yeah. What a coincidence!! FoxNewsSucks 19 hrs ago #6
Maybe his ego has been getting the best of him. n/t pnwmom 10 hrs ago #63
That's possible MustLoveBeagles 10 hrs ago #67
Not enough VERIFIED info yet. FoxNewsSucks 19 hrs ago #4
Read more if you want to see more corroboration. It's out there. pnwmom 10 hrs ago #66
Mr Swalwell knows what he did and didn't do mike_c 19 hrs ago #5
I have no idea PATRICK 19 hrs ago #8
Can't be sure. I always take such allegations seriously mvd 18 hrs ago #11
Message auto-removed Name removed 18 hrs ago #12
I am suspicious of the timing mcar 18 hrs ago #13
"The timing seems suspicious" WhiskeyGrinder 18 hrs ago #15
Excellent point SocialDemocrat61 18 hrs ago #17
I'm leaning to No. But not enough information yet. RandomNumbers 18 hrs ago #18
there are people with inside knowledge (within his own campaign?) that appear to be stopdiggin 18 hrs ago #22
Hey DU peeps who are smarter than me re the internets. I caught a brief statement supposedly made by Roger Stone Ninga 18 hrs ago #21
Because journalists were reporting out the allegations. It takes weeks to months to nail a story like this down, and it WhiskeyGrinder 17 hrs ago #23
Ok I understand. Appreciate your response. I still Ninga 17 hrs ago #26
better now than after the primary WhiskeyGrinder 17 hrs ago #27
It was being posted by people on Instagram for a prolonged period EdmondDantes_ 10 hrs ago #61
I don't know but I do think the response should be to look into JI7 17 hrs ago #24
You need an option for "He should drop out of the Governor's race, but stay in his Congressional seat until... LudwigPastorius 17 hrs ago #25
I would like to see some evidence released pinkstarburst 17 hrs ago #28
Absofuckingloutely! He was very vocal against slob post 1/6 & beyond. SheltieLover 17 hrs ago #31
Throw him off the bus. Let his next potential employer figure it out. hunter 17 hrs ago #33
Im just curious on those believing this is a set up - have you read the SF Cheonicle and/or CNN reporting Nanjeanne 17 hrs ago #35
Swalwell has a sterling record. Kid Berwyn 17 hrs ago #36
Does he? Fiendish Thingy 16 hrs ago #42
He did that in the open. Kid Berwyn 15 hrs ago #45
1.) Al Franken Was About A Photo. 2.) Eric's Defense Is 2-Fold:..... ColoringFool 17 hrs ago #37
You are wrong about Franken 8 different women accused him EdmondDantes_ 10 hrs ago #62
This message was self-deleted by its author standingtall 4 hrs ago #70
Serious allegations. Skepticism warranted. Bobstandard 16 hrs ago #38
I want to hear the allegations made under oath. orangecrush 11 hrs ago #59
The timing makes me suspicious Orangenero 16 hrs ago #40
To believe this is ratfuckery is to suspend reality Fiendish Thingy 16 hrs ago #41
Fiendish Thingy mr715 11 hrs ago #51
Tom Steyer is a billionaire TexasBushwhacker 11 hrs ago #53
I'm not pointing fingers Fiendish Thingy 11 hrs ago #56
If it's not ratfucking, the accusers should go to the authorities rather than the media. W_HAMILTON 12 hrs ago #49
Double standard? onenote 11 hrs ago #55
It's not a double standard. Then statute of limitations had expired and it was pre-Me Too. W_HAMILTON 11 hrs ago #58
Some of the SOL's are only 5 years, and it takes victims time to emotionally process these things. pnwmom 10 hrs ago #65
Easy for a man to say. nt pnwmom 10 hrs ago #64
The original victim didn't go to authorities because she didn't think they'd believe her. And the media came to her. WhiskeyGrinder 3 hrs ago #71
I don't know. hamsterjill 9 hrs ago #68
I think it's to distract from the Melania thing. LeftInTX 6 hrs ago #69

leftstreet

(40,968 posts)
2. Option 5: Did he ratfuck himself?
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:16 PM
19 hrs ago

Did he plan and coordinate a campaign for Governor without once asking himself, "uh...is there anything in my past...?"

Extra marital affairs are risky enough to be a red flag to yourself

Attilatheblond

(8,984 posts)
7. If he and his wife made nice after whatever it was he did
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:27 PM
19 hrs ago

then whatever he did probably wasn't nice.

Loved him in the House. He was effective in his way and should have stayed put.

Wiz Imp

(10,107 posts)
72. Huh? Every member of the House is only currently serving through the end of the year.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 08:51 AM
1 hr ago

He's no more a short-timer than any other member of the House. He will continue to vote on legislation all year. He is asolutely still a member of the House.

Pisces

(6,265 posts)
57. No, this goes to judgement, which he showed very little of!! He put himself in the position to be blackmailed,
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:02 PM
11 hrs ago

or exposed.

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
9. Option 6: When this shit comes up in the middle of a campaign, we should be very skeptical
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:42 PM
18 hrs ago

leftstreet

(40,968 posts)
10. "this shit." You mean like rape?
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:47 PM
18 hrs ago

Sexual assault, sexual abuse, exploitation of an authority/power position for coercive control?

We're not talking about allegations of a dodgy mortgage or something

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
14. No. I mean like character assassination
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:58 PM
18 hrs ago

Anybody can make a charge. Everybody is entitled to a fair trial if the charges are seen to have any merit.

This is obviously not about a rape. If it was, then the charges should have been filed at the time. When they are brought up in an obvious attempt to alter the outcome of an election, we should all be very skeptical.

Why was this not brought up on 2019?

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,015 posts)
16. "This is obviously not about a rape." I...would not say that's obvious.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:03 PM
18 hrs ago
Everybody is entitled to a fair trial if the charges are seen to have any merit.
Party units and members are free to act without relying on court proceedings.

Why was this not brought up on 2019?
There are many, many reasons victims do not speak up in the moment, or tell only a few people.

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
29. I understand there are reasons people don't like to speak up.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:08 PM
17 hrs ago

But that does not seem to be the case here. They have had nine years to speak up and they chose this particular moment to bring a charge? Are they even asking for criminal charges or are they just trying to destroy the candidacy? When the timing is such it makes me highly skeptical.

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,015 posts)
34. "They have had nine years to speak up and they chose this particular moment to bring a charge?"
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:19 PM
17 hrs ago

The first accuser has not brought a charge. The San Francisco Chronicle, which reported the original story, reached out to her first.

https://archive.ph/IDj4E

The Chronicle is not identifying the woman in this story in compliance with its policy against naming alleged victims of sexual assault. Reporters looking into the broader allegations against Swalwell reached her while contacting dozens of his former staffers.

The woman began speaking with a Chronicle reporter last month as she considered whether to make her allegations public. When rumors about Swalwell’s conduct began circulating online, the woman said she was confused because she had told only a small circle of family and close friends about what had happened to her. She said she was “petrified” that Swalwell had told people about their encounters or that her name had appeared in an opposition research file compiled by a rival campaign.

She said she called the Swalwell campaign in late March to find out whether her name had surfaced among rumored victims. A staffer on the campaign, she said, asked her to vouch for Swalwell.

She said the staffer asked her whether Swalwell had ever been inappropriate with her, and then, when she hesitated to answer, said, “Actually, I don’t want to know.” When the campaign staffer told her that Swalwell was not afraid of the rumors because he had not done anything inappropriate, the woman said she felt determined to speak out.

stopdiggin

(15,513 posts)
19. You are seriously asking a question regarding why sexual assault is (commonly/frequently) not reported?
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:23 PM
18 hrs ago

Have you not been paying any attention - past 20-30 years?

You are quite within your rights to 'hold your fire' on this particular incident/set of accusations ...
But, really - THAT old canard .. ?

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
30. Don't be a reactionary, putting words in my mouth.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:10 PM
17 hrs ago

I said nothing of the sort. I simply said that when people have a choice to bring charges and they wait for 9 years and then spring the charges in the middle of a campaign, I am skeptical.

DemocratSinceBirth

(101,894 posts)
50. He is being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's office
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:41 PM
12 hrs ago

That same office that successfully prosecuted Trump. It's highly unlikely they're in cahoots with MAGA. They also opened up a tip line for other alleged victims to come forward.

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
46. If true, that should be disqualifying
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 09:33 PM
13 hrs ago

But it does not answer the question why, if a person had this evidence (and receiving a dick pic means one has clear evidence in their possession), this was not brought out when it happened.

That suggests:
1) the evidence was fake -- you know there are a lot of fake pictures these days
2) it wasn't unwelcome at the time
3) the recipient decided rather than taking immediate action, they would rather save this for a time that could do more damage.

If it is #3, that is not the way our justice system is supposed to work. That would be a variation of WEAPONIZING the justice system.

There are many real cases of sexual abuse against women. When a person seems to be using charges for political reasons rather than for justice for the original crime, this makes it harder for women who are truly violated to get their justice.

EdmondDantes_

(1,880 posts)
60. Snapchat deletes messages so no
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:29 PM
11 hrs ago

This isn't weaponizing the justice system any more than E Jean Carroll or Christine Blasey Ford did in waiting to tell their stories.

pnwmom

(110,286 posts)
43. There are some related facts that appear to have been corroborated.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 06:24 PM
16 hrs ago

For example, at least one of the accusers did work for him. And there is more:

CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including the former staffer who said she was sexually assaulted. Two family members and a friend said in interviews with CNN that she told them about the alleged 2024 assault in the following days, and CNN also reviewed text messages she sent two friends describing her allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one of her friends, adding: “By Eric.”

The woman also shared medical records related to her receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/us/eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations-invs

onenote

(46,172 posts)
47. Jean Carroll didn't bring up her being assaulted until years lster
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 09:57 PM
12 hrs ago

Were you skeptical of her charges when they were made?

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
48. And that weighed heavily against her charges
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:30 PM
12 hrs ago

We all understand that there are strong reasons why women do not come forward, especially when a powerful person is involved.

By the same token, it is fair to ask why the claims were not brought out at the time and are now brought out when this is certain to affect the gubernatorial election.

Rather than torches and pitchforks, we should all be asking for evidence from both sides.

MustLoveBeagles

(16,655 posts)
3. Not enough info
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:16 PM
19 hrs ago

I just find it interesting this happened to one of our most effective Democrats.

FoxNewsSucks

(11,778 posts)
4. Not enough VERIFIED info yet.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:17 PM
19 hrs ago

This style of ratfucking seems to be the most effective for them and unfortunately, their practice has paid off and made them good at it.

mike_c

(37,068 posts)
5. Mr Swalwell knows what he did and didn't do
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:18 PM
19 hrs ago

If the allegations are true, then he knows it. In that case, what do YOU think he should do? I think finding another line of work would certainly be an honorable choice, under those circumstances. I would hope he does so voluntarily, with promises to be a better person in future, hopefully sincere.

If they're not true, he knows that too, and should mount a vigorous defense. However, we should acknowledge that the accusations will still reduce his chances of winning even if he's innocent. That's an unfortunate fact of life.

On edit: What leftstreet said, #2.

Edit 2: and if the allegations are true, we should be glad they emerged now, rather than after he was anointed the Dem candidate.

PATRICK

(12,404 posts)
8. I have no idea
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:35 PM
19 hrs ago

except it has been suggested to me that the Democratic leadership(?) would rather have a Republican win than certain Dem candidate(s). This does not seem to have come up in any discussions. Hope this notion is completely false.

mvd

(65,932 posts)
11. Can't be sure. I always take such allegations seriously
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:50 PM
18 hrs ago

But after Franken, I know RW shenanigans exist. I’ll leave it up to people more in the know to decide.

Response to orangecrush (Original post)

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,015 posts)
15. "The timing seems suspicious"
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:59 PM
18 hrs ago

Victims in cases like these will often come forward when they see that someone they know as a predator or pest is about to get even more power. It's why Christine Blasey Ford came forward, and why Anita Hill agreed to testify.

RandomNumbers

(19,188 posts)
18. I'm leaning to No. But not enough information yet.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:21 PM
18 hrs ago

The situations described either are, or are not, like situations he is known to get into by his staff and colleagues. By "situations" I refer to the drinking with staffers until they are plastered ... and not making sure they are safely home (as opposed to winding up in bed with some guy they didn't necessarily want to be with, especially in that state).

It's pretty simple, really. He either acts that kind of way, or he doesn't. It's freakin' hard to believe that this type of behavior - short of the sexual aspects - wouldn't be known, if he is like that.

If he IS like that, frankly I don't want him on the Dem ticket in any new election. It's not proper behavior for an adult who is a position of public responsibility. This behavior alone - even if nothing sexual actually happened - would open him up to EXACTLY the accusations he's now facing.

And if he ISN'T like that - where are his colleagues and staff loudly asserting that? Instead I see staffers jumping ship. I think that speaks volumes ... but will wait to hear more. I am sure more is coming.

stopdiggin

(15,513 posts)
22. there are people with inside knowledge (within his own campaign?) that appear to be
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:30 PM
18 hrs ago

conceding to the fact that this fits a pattern ....
Which is what you are correctly pointing to.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ninga

(9,019 posts)
21. Hey DU peeps who are smarter than me re the internets. I caught a brief statement supposedly made by Roger Stone
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:28 PM
18 hrs ago

1 day ago on Alex Joneses program. Because I do no have X I couldn’t fin the entire post.

“Out of curiosity... Why did Roger Stone tell Alex Jones that Democratic ...

1 day agoOut of curiosity… Why did Roger Stone tell Alex Jones that Democratic House Rep. Eric Swalwell's "campaign will be blowing up today" hours before the release of the San Francisco Chronicle article where an ex-staffer accuses Swalwell of sexually assaulting her (claims Swalwell denies)? Smells” snip

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,015 posts)
23. Because journalists were reporting out the allegations. It takes weeks to months to nail a story like this down, and it
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:46 PM
17 hrs ago

requires talking to a lot of people, many of whose names or even presence aren't even mentioned in the final article. Those people talk to other people, and word gets around. The first victim saw that rumors were going around so she called the campaign to see if her name was out there.

https://archive.ph/IDj4E


The woman began speaking with a Chronicle reporter last month as she considered whether to make her allegations public. When rumors about Swalwell’s conduct began circulating online, the woman said she was confused because she had told only a small circle of family and close friends about what had happened to her. She said she was “petrified” that Swalwell had told people about their encounters or that her name had appeared in an opposition research file compiled by a rival campaign.

She said she called the Swalwell campaign in late March to find out whether her name had surfaced among rumored victims. A staffer on the campaign, she said, asked her to vouch for Swalwell.

She said the staffer asked her whether Swalwell had ever been inappropriate with her, and then, when she hesitated to answer, said, “Actually, I don’t want to know.” When the campaign staffer told her that Swalwell was not afraid of the rumors because he had not done anything inappropriate, the woman said she felt determined to speak out.

“He was so confident that I would stay silent that he wasn’t scared,” she said of Swalwell.

Ninga

(9,019 posts)
26. Ok I understand. Appreciate your response. I still
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:58 PM
17 hrs ago

feel rather ill though….and will always wonder about the timing….

EdmondDantes_

(1,880 posts)
61. It was being posted by people on Instagram for a prolonged period
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:42 PM
10 hrs ago

Go look up Mrs Frazzled on social media. For example.

https://www.smobserved.com/story/2026/04/06/news/social-media-circulates-allegations-of-inappropriate-sexual-relationships-with-interns-ndas-involving-rep-eric-swalwell/9761.html

"The allegations appear to stem in part from earlier posts by the X/TikTok account @mrs.frazzled (also referenced as @ms_frazzled), who in mid-March 2026 claimed that "no less than a dozen people" had approached her with accounts of inappropriate relationships between Swalwell and young staffers."

Roger Stone isn't behind this, he's just capable of reading social media and having contacts in the media as it was known California newspapers were working on the story before it hit.

JI7

(93,676 posts)
24. I don't know but I do think the response should be to look into
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:50 PM
17 hrs ago

the allegations and give the accused a chance to respond if they want.

I think our side immediately calling for resignations has hurt us .

The media went after Biden on that one accusation which was easily shown to be fake when it was proven he never even attended the event where it happened. Yhe media could have easily done the research on that but they didn't.

So do an investigation, ler info come out and let the accused present their side and let voters decide.

LudwigPastorius

(14,789 posts)
25. You need an option for "He should drop out of the Governor's race, but stay in his Congressional seat until...
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 04:57 PM
17 hrs ago

a full investigation has determined his culpability".

pinkstarburst

(2,042 posts)
28. I would like to see some evidence released
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:05 PM
17 hrs ago

If this is true, and it may very well be, they can surely release some text messages or something like that.

My concern is that we not set a precedent that there can be an accusation made and BOOM, the candidate drops out. Let's think this through. Right now it's our frontrunner for the governor of California. What happens 6 months from now when we only have one dem candidate in the running for CA governor (that could easily happen!) and there's mysteriously a round of accusations that happen right before voting starts, accusing our candidate. Do they drop out? Do we rush to drop support?

What happens when republicans learn from how quickly we will burn someone with zero evidence (it hasn't even been 24 hours) and decide this would be a cool trick to pull in our 2028 primary, taking out our frontrunner for president? They control most of the media now, and the billionaires are on their side, too. What happens when after they take out our frontrunner, and we get a nominee no one is excited about, they wait until October and release "damning information" about our nominee, that later turns out to be untrue, but it takes months to figure that out, and we are so quick to condemn that we've already lost?

I think we need to be careful, especially given what happened with Franken, not to get ahead of ourselves. I would like to see evidence.

hunter

(40,741 posts)
33. Throw him off the bus. Let his next potential employer figure it out.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:18 PM
17 hrs ago

I don't want him working for me.

We've all been rejected by potential employers for much, much, less -- even frivolous or random reasons...

This shit is serious. He needs to go away.

Franken arguments do not impress me either.

I'm not looking for any fucking heroes or celebrities..

Heck, if Cesar Chavez had been exposed immediately we might have ended up in a better place. Now we have to wonder if he was somehow compromised for thinking with his dick.

Zero tolerance for this kind of crap doesn't make Democrats losers, it's what distinguishes us from the modern Republican party.

If we can't win on a solid ethical platform, then fuck it all, this nation ain't worth saving.

Nanjeanne

(6,599 posts)
35. Im just curious on those believing this is a set up - have you read the SF Cheonicle and/or CNN reporting
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:23 PM
17 hrs ago

on the various allegations?

Do I know the whole story? By no means. But there is clearly at the very very very least, some very bad behavior on the part of Swalwell. And unfortunately it appears to be typical behavior of men in power positions preying on young women. And the responses of young women who become enamored of men they perceive of as being in positions of power. That women in their early 20s, who have gotten drunk with men who have some control over their careers, real or perceived, and then tell family and friends (as these women appear to have done) but do not come forward and claim rape to police is not unusual. And if they think they were the only one that this happened to — it is perfectly believable that they didn’t come forward earlier. These kinds of encounters would typically leave women feeling guilty, responsible and unsure of culpability. That’s how men are able to take advantage of these situations.

Fiendish Thingy

(23,372 posts)
42. Does he?
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 06:18 PM
16 hrs ago

He’s been soliciting customers/investors for his AI campaign software startup company on Capitol Hill, despite the clear ethical conflict of interest.

Kid Berwyn

(24,569 posts)
45. He did that in the open.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 06:59 PM
15 hrs ago

Unlike so many in Congress.

ETA: Going by the shitstain billionaires currently running the show, it’d be good more Democrats to get into AI.

ColoringFool

(765 posts)
37. 1.) Al Franken Was About A Photo. 2.) Eric's Defense Is 2-Fold:.....
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 05:36 PM
17 hrs ago

a.) "I didn't do these things"; and

b.) "You know me."

a.) We should believe him, why?

b.) No, no we do not.

Don't misconstrue; I am a big fan of the political Swalwell.

But I'm not in a cult.

And I go back to the days when I defended the National Enquirer when they printed the TRUTH about John Edwards and Rielle.


EdmondDantes_

(1,880 posts)
62. You are wrong about Franken 8 different women accused him
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:45 PM
10 hrs ago

Please be accurate about it. It's not especially convincing when his defenders chronically misstate events to minimize things.

https://www.twincities.com/2017/12/07/al-franken-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline-senator-minnesota/

Response to EdmondDantes_ (Reply #62)

Fiendish Thingy

(23,372 posts)
41. To believe this is ratfuckery is to suspend reality
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 06:16 PM
16 hrs ago

The earliest allegation dates to 2019, which means Stone or other republicans would have had to plant an operative on Swallwell’s staff six years before he decided to run for governor.

Then Stone/republicans would have had to plant three more operatives to work on his staff faithfully until this week, then suddenly make “false” accusations.

Then, Stone/republicans would have also had to plant four operatives on his staff to to work faithfully, then resign in disgust once the news broke.

Or, there is truth to the accusations, but they are difficult to prove criminally due to the passage of time, but the women involved nevertheless spoke out to achieve some sort of accountability and closure.

If there is ratfuckery, it is far more likely that the allegations are true, and someone “encouraged” the women to go public to winnow the field of candidates, so that this would not be a ticking time bomb for November.

mr715

(3,647 posts)
51. Fiendish Thingy
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:43 PM
11 hrs ago

I am consistently impressed by the quality of your analysis and your obvious intellect.

TexasBushwhacker

(21,215 posts)
53. Tom Steyer is a billionaire
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:49 PM
11 hrs ago

He's trailing Swalwell and he certainly has the money to do some digging.

Fiendish Thingy

(23,372 posts)
56. I'm not pointing fingers
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:57 PM
11 hrs ago

But if Swallwell is forced out of the race, Steyer is the prime beneficiary, at least for the moment.

It will be interesting to see how Porter handles this situation.

onenote

(46,172 posts)
55. Double standard?
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:56 PM
11 hrs ago

Should e Jean Carroll have gone to the authorities instead of waiting decades to reveal what had happened to her decades earlier?

W_HAMILTON

(10,354 posts)
58. It's not a double standard. Then statute of limitations had expired and it was pre-Me Too.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:10 PM
11 hrs ago

So, again I say, these anonymous accusers should go report these alleged crimes immediately and have law enforcement investigate.

pnwmom

(110,286 posts)
65. Some of the SOL's are only 5 years, and it takes victims time to emotionally process these things.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 12:26 AM
10 hrs ago

And sometimes a victim blames herself and thinks she's the only one, till someone else comes forward.

WhiskeyGrinder

(27,015 posts)
71. The original victim didn't go to authorities because she didn't think they'd believe her. And the media came to her.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 07:35 AM
3 hrs ago

hamsterjill

(17,620 posts)
68. I don't know.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 01:02 AM
9 hrs ago

But I refuse to say that Swalwell should immediately resign before he has an opportunity to defend against these allegations. Pardon me, if I still believe in that.

Some posters seem to think that an accusation should be an immediate call for a politician to step aside. Well, if that's the case, we won't have ANYONE running for public office for fear of being accused.

There is a process. I want to let the process work and see what the facts are. That does not mean that I think it would be okay for any man to do what Swalwell is accused of doing. It just means that I don't want to condemn him without having the whole story.

Swalwell has been one of THE most vocal critics of Trump, and I like that aspect of him. Whose gonna be accused next? Mark Kelley?
Ted Lieu?

Let the process play out. There will be plenty of time for him to resign if that's what the facts show needs to happen. This does not have to be decided tonight.

LeftInTX

(34,485 posts)
69. I think it's to distract from the Melania thing.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:29 AM
6 hrs ago

How can we pay attention to Epstein, when we've got one of our own drugging and raping women?

Roger Stone seems to have some inside info with the Democratic Party. He knew that Biden was gonna drop out and he knew when he was gonna drop out. I thought was BS'ing or whatever. I stumpled on some podcast he had. Then it happened just like he said.

You would be surprised that info does get shared. He discussed his relationship with Woodward and Bernstein. Sometimes people are friends and neighbors from those who work across the aisle and they find out that way.

I don't think he was ratfucked in that sense. I do think this a big distraction from Melania/Epstein/Ugaro and that Italian guy.

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