WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California on Sunday and announced the following day that he would relinquish his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The resignation took effect soon afterward, following allegations of sexual misconduct made by multiple women.

Two news outlets published reports that four women had alleged Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct, including one who alleged that he raped her. The reports stated that Swalwell had sent graphic messages and images to the women via Snapchat. On Tuesday, another woman alleged that Swalwell raped her.

"The claims of sexual assault are flat false, and I will fight them with everything that I have," Swalwell said. He denies the reports of sexual misconduct and assault. His campaign said the accusations were being pushed by rivals collaborating with "MAGA conspiracy theorists."

Rep. Luna said Swalwell may face serious criminal problems following his resignation from Congress. Before the allegations surfaced, rumors had circulated online alleging that Swalwell had behaved inappropriately with women, including members of his staff. Cheyenne Hunt and Arielle Fodor posted the rumors online, prompting a response from Swalwell. A former staffer offered a different account of the congressman's public persona. "There was Eric the Snapchatting guy, and then there was Eric my boss," the former staffer said.

Swalwell had used Snapchat to communicate directly with his constituents and advised congressional colleagues on using the platform. A D.C. newspaper described him in 2016 as the "Snapchat king of Congress." He also told colleagues: "I tell the members, just trust me. In a year, we're all going to be there anyway," Swalwell said at the time. Snapchat was later replaced as a political communications trend.

Swalwell also posted TikTok videos featuring meme-based content, including playing "six seven" with his daughter, lip-syncing to Lady Gaga's "Telephone," and performing the "Beez in the Trap" routine with a teenage content creator. He inspired the Twitter trend "Swalwelling," which involved photographing one's feet when boarding an airplane. A newspaper also reported that he frequently used the F-word on X.