Frontrunner for California governor denies sexual assault allegations

Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, one of the leading candidates in the race to be California's next governor, has denied allegations of sexual misconduct from former staff. "These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor," he said in a statement after multiple women made allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape. His opponents - and several supporters, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries - have called on him to leave the race.Democrats will pick their candidate in a primary on 2 June. The winner, expected to become the next governor in the heavily Democratic state, will go on to the 3 November General Election.The first allegation against Swalwell emerged publicly on Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle.A former staff member told the newspaper that, shortly after being hired to work in his district office in Castro Valley, Swalwell began making inappropriate comments, including soliciting her for sex and sending her sexual messages.The woman, who has not been named, also said that in September 2019 she woke up naked in the congressman's hotel room with little recollection of what had happened the night before. Five years later, when she was no longer on his staff, she met him for drinks at a gala. She said she had trouble remembering details of the night, but recalled pushing him away from her and telling him "no".