Oakland, CA — I have been standing up for survivors of rape and sexual assault since I sued Yale in 1977 as the lead plaintiff in the first sexual harassment lawsuit under Title IX. I dedicated my professional life to standing up to sexual predators like Eric Swalwell and holding them accountable. I am eternally grateful to the brave women who have stepped forward to expose Eric Swalwell’s unacceptable misconduct.

When Eric Swalwell called for my recall in 2024, he joined a racist and misogynistic attack on the first Black woman District Attorney in Alameda County. Local Democratic politicians stood by and watched. When Swalwell published a racist meme attacking me in February 2026, the entire California Democratic Party stood by and watched. Only the Black women stood up, and we were ignored.

Eric Swalwell has survived and thrived for the past 10 years as a leading figure in the local, State and national Democratic party because too many politicians were willing to stand by and watch as he demeaned, exploited and abused women.

Eric Swalwell clearly knew in 2024 that if Alameda County had an independent District Attorney with a history of boldly standing up for women, he would have a problem. All of us who have suffered under his influence are pleased that the national media and the Democratic Party leadership are finally holding him to account for some of his conduct.

We need a full investigation of Eric Swalwell’s misconduct by both the Manhattan District Attorney and the California Attorney General. The interim Alameda County District Attorney has a conflict as she has benefitted immensely from her association with Swalwell, receiving at least $50,000 from his supporters for her election campaign. She should be disqualified from any investigation and the matter should be referred to our Attorney General. Only then will the survivors know that politics will not play a role in holding Eric Swalwell accountable for his crimes.

For more than a decade, Eric Swalwell has misled the public and the voters. His decision to suspend his campaign for Governor is a welcome first step. He needs to heed the call from all survivors and his own staff to resign from Congress immediately. It is long past time for a reckoning of his horrific misconduct and those who were silently complicit in it.

About Hon. Pamela Price

Pamela Price is a survivor of the Ohio juvenile justice and foster care systems. In 1977, Pamela joined Alexander v. Yale, the very first case under Title IX to attack rape and sexual harassment at an educational institution. Alexander established that sexual harassment in education is illegal. Pamela earned her B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. and M.A. from the Berkeley School of Law. She was admitted to practice law in California in 1983, and specialized in federal civil rights litigation since 1991. She served as the elected District Attorney of Alameda County from 2023-2024.