86 Comments
User's avatar
Libertarian Overwatch's avatar

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing the downfall of a Russiagate promoter in Swalwell.

Mike Myhre's avatar

but shouldn't it have been the russiagate that evicted him from office instead of a scandal from his personal life? Russiagate was using his job to liable a coworker and should have been reason for immediate dismissal. we are not in charge.

Pat Robinson's avatar

No different than Cuomo getting tossed as NY governor for being handsie with the ladies instead of for ordering that covid sick old folks get sent back to the old folks home to spread it and relieve the overcrowding.

Essentially, mass murder.

Mike Myhre's avatar

Yes. Always a sex scandal, which as repulsive as it is, has nothing to do with them doing their jobs.

As for the issue of doing their jobs, we have fraud, insider trading, murder, kickbacks, never ending war, economic hardship, bio-warfare, propaganda, FISA violations, censorship, etc. All proven in public, but no charges filed.

HorseLaugher's avatar

The sad part is the joy will fade over time. Sigh.

Yuri Bezmenov's avatar

Ballsy post. This is why Congress has a taxpayer-funded hush-up fund. We are nothing but tax cattle for them: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/dear-american-tax-cattle

Pat Robinson's avatar

So glad i'm canadian as our politicians never do things like........never mind.

Carry on

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

Even the former PM's girlfriend is now being accused of sexual assault.

Which begs the question--how would Katy Perry sexually assault someone?

Pat Robinson's avatar

Was she? hadn't heard that.

Id be happy to let her try on me i think

Phuckthephacts's avatar

I guess this is the “hard news” we were promised?! 🤣

steven t koenig's avatar

Uncalled for.

And funny

Alex Manning's avatar

You left out a bunch of good ones- the current Gonzales story, Larry Craig, Katie Hill, Chris Lee (NY), and the grandpappy of them all, Senator Bob Packwood.

Madjack's avatar

Packwood. Exculpatory name!!🤣🤣

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

Larry "I am not gay" Craig, good call. Cruising in the Minneapolis airport men's room.

Somewhat related is Henry Hyde, who trashed Clinton over his scandals, and then it was revealed that Hyde had been fucking around on his wife. His response? "This was a youthful indiscretion." Youthful--apparently youthful to Biden and Trump, but not anyone else. Happened when the motherfucker was 42 years old.

Substack Reader's avatar

You beat me to it! You posted your comment while I was googling "wide stance senator."

I was surprised it was only 2007. I would have guessed 80s or 90s.

Youthful indiscretion, yeah, that's a classic!

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

I loved the "wide stance"

SimulationCommander's avatar

Damn, I bet some foreign government could compile a similar list, perhaps after a little bit of "nudging," and then hold that information over their heads. That would ensure loyalty to whatever country held the blackmail material!

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

What a great idea. Said foreign government could use an American rich asshole who provided young women for his rich and powerful friends on his private island.

Now, THAT would be a scandal.

Siezmo's avatar

Why does Swalwell’s face always look dirty?

Lance Smith's avatar

Old is new again! It feels like we've somehow gone back in time to 2017.

So some/many/most (?) of these women - it sounds like from their own testimony - were willing participants ... right until the price was right to make them feign victimhood. The Gavin Newsom machine will roll over anyone who gets in its way.

I truly don't care about this guy... one way or the other (he's in CA I'm in PA and he's a LONG way from the White House). But I really have no patience for a #MeTooReDo. The level of fever-dream driven female-infantization & male-vilification that happened in 2017 doesn't need to happen again in 2026.

For the record:

* I don't care if my politicians put their hand on another's back (etc). I truly don't.

* I don't care if my politicians play a little "I'll show you mine / you show me yours." I truly don't.

* I don't care if my politicians obtain a BJ in the limo. I truly don't.

* I don't care if my politicians sleep around. I truly don't.

* I believe women have agency: therefore, anyone who was willing participant THEN has zero credibility when they complain TODAY.

* Likewise, given women have agency, the only stories worth discussing when it comes to sex scandals - as far as I'm concerned - is actual, quantifiable coercion and/or quid pro quo AT THE TIME.

Anything less, is just noise (or in this case, both intra- and inter- partisan bickering) and simple power politics (often the product feminist fever dreams).... which does zero for the electorate.

James Nick's avatar

I agree with your “For the record” points, Lance. I’d like a standard to be: police report or medical record or it didn’t happen.

And if you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough to know when to stop and to take responsibility for what happens to you when you don’t.

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

So every time a boss sexually harasses a subordinate, unless there is a crime or visit to the hospital, no harm, no foul?

What does one do when someone puts a drug in their drink?

What year do you think it is?

James Nick's avatar

Go to the police or go to the doctor. Drugging someone is a crime. So is rape.

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a crime.

James Nick's avatar

Then report it to HR when it happens.

Dims Stink's avatar

I agree with 95% of this.

In Swalwell's case, the woman he raped says he drugged her drink.

That's a crime I do care about and would gladly castrate him for myself. No anasthesia.

Chilblain Edward Olmos's avatar

She implied that he drugged her drink. Hearsay. That said Swallwell can fuck right off…

Dims Stink's avatar

She didn't imply. She accused him directly. That's how any court would take it in testimony.

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

Taking a wild guess that you never had any sexual harassment awareness training. Ever.

Sue's avatar

Physical force and coercion are REAL!

Running Burning Man's avatar

Not for the woman who sucked his member in the limo ...

Sue's avatar

Thanks for identifying yourself, unempathetic psychopath.

Running Burning Man's avatar

No empathy? Are you serious? She willingly gave him a blowjob. And you think she is a victim?

#YouToo!

Sue's avatar

I didn't say SHE was a victim. My comment stands as you don't seem to get it.

Running Burning Man's avatar

You seem to be dumber than a fence post. Is English your second, partial language?

Madjack's avatar

Not particularly interested in these. Would much prefer coverage of abundant financial graft on both sides of the aisle.

Skenny's avatar

"What was the alleged penis alleged to be doing in the alleged videos?" - Attorney for Eric Swellwell

gordo53's avatar

For every congressperson that makes the tabloids for sexual transgressions there are probably ten or more that you never hear about. Ethics disappeared from Washington a long time ago. As bad as cheating on your spouse is, our porcine pols cheat the American people every day they are in office.

Running Burning Man's avatar

I'm sitting in a doctors office reading/watching. The staff is eyeing me a bit guardedly as I laugh at this shit! They prolly want to send me to a different kinda drs care!

Carlos Marighella's avatar

Just tell them you are reading about politicians caught in sex scandals. They'll laugh and nod their heads knowingly and ask you which one is your favorite.

DSB's avatar

And Adam Kuhn is included why?

Ronda Ross's avatar

Matt if you are looking for an expose, Pelosi's involvement might be interesting. These stories, minus the date rape drug details, were rampant in the Bay Area years ago. Inexplicably, Pelosi not only shepherded Swalwell's career, she saved him from the Fang Fang fallout. The joke use to be Swalwell was her Walmart version of Newsom, for when Nancy felt the urge to go slumming.

DC sex scandals are hardly rare, but rarely is the timing so convenient for the Party of the accused. The CA Dem Party faced the real prospect of Nov ballot without a Dem Governor's candidate. Dems had to frag a frontrunner, to consolidate support. Swalwell was their only possibility. Steyer is billionaire. The Dem Party has no leverage over him, because he does not require a dime of their money. Porter is truly loathsome, but the CA Dem Party was never going to politically frag a female candidate. That left Swalwell.

It will be the ultimate political irony if Reps pull off a Nov. CA Governor's upset. Another outcome is also interesting. Swalwell is broke with 3 little kids. Even if he is not convicted of rape, the CA Bar will take his law license.

Employment prospects will be sparse, with one possible exception. Swalwell spent nearly 2 decades in Silicon Valley politics. Presumably, he knows where a few proverbial bodies are buried. A mea culpa tell all, after a stint in sex addiction rehab, might sell a few books.

Pamela's avatar

How *did* he weasel out of the Fang Fang fallout? I never understood that.

Lawyers Guns & Money's avatar

Why would he be disbarred if not convicted of a crime?

Ken's avatar

How about this:

Any active member of Congress (elected) caught having an affair (married scenario) or having an intimate relationship (any type/category of “sex”) with any member of his/her staff loses their elected position, as well as any staff member involved.

Swift consequence. No court, no he said/she said — simply consequence.

craazyman's avatar

fair enough . . . but that's a low standard.

Yeah politicians like some Hollywood actors/actresses and chefs have a high libido.

sometimes it gets out of control.

but really . . . this is just gossip. Salwell, Melania and Epstein. What's next? The New England Patriot's coach? this isn't news. I don't mean to be Nick Carraway home in the midwest after his summer of love ended with Gatsby's lifeless body floating in a pool. Wanting the world to march to some Pentheus-style moral order (WARNING: OBSCURE REFERENCE TO EURIPEDES' THE BACCHAE).

Fuck that.

But this isn't "news". It's gossip about gossip. What's the point? Hundreds and hundreds of elected representatives -- largely trying to do the difficult business of democracy, and it is difficult -- and we have what like 10 -- I just recounted to 6, not even 10 -- or so here? I mean c'mon man. Really. Racket should be (my 1 cent) doing serious stuff. Not this. 6 divided by like 1000 or more is what:

.006, that's like nothing, literally

Running Burning Man's avatar

“There was Eric the Snapchatting guy, and then there was Eric my boss,” a former staffer said. “It was like two different people completely.”

Yes, Penis Out Eric versus Penis In Eric.