Eric Swalwell launched a marketing campaign of threats and intimidation to cease the sordid particulars of his alleged rape and sexual assaults from being unfold broad.
Information obtained by The California Submit present the disgraced politician used a staff of high-powered legal professionals to fireside off authorized threats to a rival marketing campaign in an effort to suppress rape and sexual assault allegations — simply weeks earlier than his personal marketing campaign imploded over those self same claims.
Attorneys representing Swalwell’s gubernatorial marketing campaign despatched a cease-and-desist letter on March 20 to Ryan Hughes — common counsel for progressive billionaire Tom Steyer’s marketing campaign — accusing him of spreading false and defamatory claims after the lawyer contacted former Swalwell staffers about rumors of extramarital affairs and sexual misconduct.
The letter from Swalwell’s attorneys asserted there was “no reality” to allegations involving inappropriate relationships between Swalwell and interns, and it demanded that the Steyer marketing campaign stop making inquiries.
“This sort of campaigning — the place your workers suggests, with out one iota of element, not to mention proof, that Congressman Swalwell has engaged in improper conduct — is exactly the sort of spreading of misinformation that we must always all be united towards,” lawyer Stephen Shackelford wrote.
“What’s extra, given the character of your marketing campaign’s false claims, we’re involved that you’re weaponizing a really critical material to serve your individual political functions, to the detriment of precise victims of such wrongs. Once more, we must always all be united in not behaving in such a fashion.”
Shackelford concluded, “That is all of the oxygen that the Congressman and his marketing campaign intend to present to this unhappy and dishonest habits in the mean time. However once more, you might be on discover that these claims are false. They’re additionally defamatory. And the ways are beneath what we might hope to see from you and your marketing campaign.”
However the strain marketing campaign didn’t cease with the legal professionals’ letter.
Yardena Wolf, Swalwell’s longtime chief of workers, enterprise companion and marketing campaign supervisor, personally texted Hughes a replica of the cease-and-desist discover from her cellphone.
Within the message, she highlighted that Shackelford had represented Dominion Voting Techniques in its defamation case towards Fox Information earlier than warning Hughes that the matter would even be referred to the California State Bar.
“It’s possible you’ll acknowledge the lawyer’s title,” Wolf wrote. “He took down Fox Information for $1B for defamation on behalf of Dominion Voting Techniques. We will even be sending to CA Bar.”
Dominion’s lawsuit finally settled for $787.5 million, however the message gave the impression to be a part of the marketing campaign’s scare ways.
Wolf, who declined remark Friday, additionally made headlines final month after she was recognized as being romantically concerned with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who’s now the topic of Home ethics investigation wanting into sexual misconduct.
Wolf and Gomez each denied an encounter by which they had been reportedly seen kissing, however Gomez later acknowledged he made “private errors outdoors my marriage.”
Swalwell’s authorized blitz got here days after Hughes contacted Shannon Fuller, a former Swalwell aide and former colleague, in search of details about the rumors, in line with a supply acquainted with the outreach. Fuller is believed to have alerted Swalwell’s staff, triggering the authorized response.
Swalwell’s marketing campaign tried to silence different girls on social media from amplifying rumors of sexual misconduct, which has been reported by The Submit and different media retailers, however the brand new particulars on Shackleford’s threats shed new mild on the lengths Swalwell’s staff carried out as a part of its harm management efforts.
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On April 10, a number of girls got here ahead with allegations towards Swalwell that ranged from rape and sexual assault to different deviant misconduct. Swalwell, who’s married with three youngsters, denied the allegations whereas admitting he had made “errors in judgment.”
Swalwell ended up suspending his marketing campaign and resigning from Congress days later, whereas Steyer went on to complete third within the June major election after spending greater than $200 million of his personal cash.
Sara Azari, an lawyer who has acquired greater than $300,000 in funds from Swalwell’s marketing campaign for governor, defended the authorized technique of her predecessors.
“Mr. Swalwell’s marketing campaign issued a cease-and-desist letter to handle false and defamatory claims which were circulated publicly,” she wrote in a textual content message to The Submit.
Swalwell’s marketing campaign is at present topic of a state ethics investigation in relation to his funds to Azari, because the ex-candidate himself has been the topic of a number of legal investigations.
Whereas Swalwell has not been charged, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division confirmed to The Submit this week that its legal investigation into allegations by Lonna Drewes — a former mannequin who accused Swalwell of drugging, choking and raping her — stays energetic.
