Exclusive | Eric Swalwell’s attorneys threatened Tom Steyer campaign just before scandal erupted

Eric Swalwell launched a campaign of threats and intimidation to stop the sordid details of his alleged rape and sexual assaults from being spread wide.

Records obtained by The California Post show the disgraced politician used a team of high-powered lawyers to fire off legal threats to a rival campaign in an effort to suppress rape and sexual assault allegations — just weeks before his own campaign imploded over those same claims.

Attorneys representing Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter on March 20 to Ryan Hughes — general counsel for progressive billionaire Tom Steyer’s 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 truth” to allegations involving inappropriate relationships between Swalwell and interns, and it demanded that the Steyer campaign cease making inquiries.

“This type of campaigning — where your staff suggests, without one iota of detail, let alone evidence, that Congressman Swalwell has engaged in improper conduct — is precisely the kind of spreading of misinformation that we should all be united against,” attorney Stephen Shackelford wrote.

“What’s more, given the nature of your campaign’s false claims, we are concerned that you are weaponizing a very serious subject matter to serve your own political purposes, to the detriment of actual victims of such wrongs. Again, we should all be united in not behaving in such a manner.”

Shackelford concluded, “This is all the oxygen that the Congressman and his campaign intend to give to this sad and dishonest behavior at the moment. But again, you are on notice that these claims are false. They are also defamatory. And the tactics are beneath what we would hope to see from you and your campaign.”

But the pressure campaign didn’t stop with the lawyers’ letter.

Yardena Wolf, Swalwell’s longtime chief of staff, business partner and campaign manager, personally texted Hughes a copy of the cease-and-desist notice from her cellphone. 

In the message, she highlighted that Shackelford had represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation case against Fox News before warning Hughes that the matter would also be referred to the California State Bar.

“You may recognize the lawyer’s name,” Wolf wrote. “He took down Fox News for $1B for defamation on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems. We will also be sending to CA Bar.”

Dominion’s lawsuit ultimately settled for $787.5 million, but the message appeared to be part of the campaign’s scare tactics.

Wolf, who declined comment Friday, also made headlines last month after she was identified as being romantically involved with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who is now the subject of House ethics investigation looking into sexual misconduct.

Wolf and Gomez both denied an encounter in which they were reportedly seen kissing, but Gomez later acknowledged he made “personal mistakes outside my marriage.”

Swalwell’s legal blitz came days after Hughes contacted Shannon Fuller, a former Swalwell aide and former colleague, seeking information about the rumors, according to a source familiar with the outreach. Fuller is believed to have alerted Swalwell’s team, triggering the legal response.

Swalwell’s campaign attempted to silence other women on social media from amplifying rumors of sexual misconduct, which has been reported by The Post and other media outlets, but the new details on Shackleford’s threats shed new light on the lengths Swalwell’s team carried out as part of its damage control efforts.

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On April 10, multiple women came forward with allegations against Swalwell that ranged from rape and sexual assault to other deviant misconduct. Swalwell, who is married with three children, denied the allegations while admitting he had made “mistakes in judgment.”

Swalwell ended up suspending his campaign and resigning from Congress days later, while Steyer went on to finish third in the June primary election after spending more than $200 million of his own money.

Sara Azari, an attorney who has received more than $300,000 in payments from Swalwell’s campaign for governor, defended the legal strategy of her predecessors.

“Mr. Swalwell’s campaign issued a cease-and-desist letter to address false and defamatory claims that have been circulated publicly,” she wrote in a text message to The Post.

Swalwell’s campaign is currently subject of a state ethics investigation in relation to his payments to Azari, as the ex-candidate himself has been the subject of multiple criminal investigations. 

While Swalwell has not been charged, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Post this week that its criminal investigation into allegations by Lonna Drewes — a former model who accused Swalwell of drugging, choking and raping her — remains active.