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Tolerating illiberal behavior and beliefs is a moral stain on our party — and a warning sign for its future

Image via Gallup News I’ve known Eric Swalwell for years. I founded Moms Demand Action in 2012, just one month after Eric was elected to Congress, and he became one of the most vocal gun sense champions in Congress. He showed up for our volunteers, he was unwavering in his commitment to gun safety, and he seemed like exactly the kind of Democrat I could trust. When I moved to California in 2019 and lived near his district, Eric and I would get together. We once went to a shooting range together for a New York Times article. We had drinks to discuss a potential run for office (I decided against it). We went to dinner — with his wife or mutual friends — when I visited Washington, DC. In fact, Eric was one of the first people I texted for help a couple of weeks ago when my kid (a California resident) was stranded in Mexico due to cartel violence. We were friends who shared politics and, I thought, values. Which is why what’s happened over the past week has been so disorienting. Eric’s political career and personal life imploded this week with breathtaking speed. On Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported that more than four women had accused him of sexual assault, including rape. On Saturday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced it was investigating an allegation that a former staffer was sexually assaulted by Swalwell, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s office announced it was evaluating whether criminal conduct occurred in the Bay Area as well. On Sunday, Eric suspended his California gubernatorial campaign after more than 50 former staffers signed a letter calling for his resignation, and prominent allies — including Ruben Gallego, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi — withdrew their support. By Monday, Eric was facing a House Ethics Committee investigation and the very real threat of expulsion, and he announced he would resign from Congress entirely. Another woman is set to hold a press conference today to detail additional allegations and outline next legal steps. There’s a particular kind of shock that comes not just from learning that someone has done something terrible, but from realizing how wrong you were about who they are. The stories coming out paint a picture of something far darker than infidelity. Eric isn’t just a philanderer — he is, based on the accounts of several women, a predator. But just as shocking as these reports about Eric have been the reactions to them. I’ve watched people — including Democrats, the party that is supposed to share my values — respond by either insisting Eric has been set up or shrugging and pointing across the aisle. The argument goes something like: “Republicans have predators in office too, so why should we hold our own accountable before they do?” Even worse, they’ve questioned the victims’ motives, implying they waited too long to tell their stories or that they’re lying. That logic is not just flawed — it is dangerous. It reflects a willingness to abandon principle in favor of tribal loyalty. It suggests that accountability is conditional, that standards shift depending on who holds power, and that harm can be excused if it serves a broader political goal. We are seeing this pattern more and more within our own party — from the widespread support for Graham Platner, a Senate candidate with a Totenkopf tattoo who has made racist and sexist remarks (including using a slur in a media interview last week), to the elevation of Hasan Piker, a streamer who makes millions by fomenting discord among Democrats (and who likes to insult women opponents by telling them to suck his dick). It’s disheartening — and alarming — to watch Democrats align with the morally vacant and the dangerous, just as we watched happen on the right for over a decade. Too many Democrats are deciding one compromise at a time that their political survival matters more than principle. Tolerating this behavior is a moral stain on our party — and a warning sign for its future. The goal must be to have people in power who are decent, who are respectful, who treat the people around them as human beings rather than opportunities. Not to match the lowest common denominator on the other side. Not to rationalize keeping an accused predator in office because someone else’s accused predator is still in theirs. If we are serious about building a political system rooted in dignity, respect, and fairness, then those values must apply universally — not selectively. We cannot claim to stand for something only when it is convenient. We cannot demand accountability from one side while excusing or ignoring it on our own. I’m grateful that – thanks to women – Eric Swalwell is being held accountable for his transgressions. But what happened this week is an exception to the rule, not the norm. Congress is still filled with (mostly men) who endanger society’s code of ethics, their constituents, and democracy because of both a power imbalance and the people who prevent them from being held accountable. The goal is not simply to win elections. The goal is to ensure that the people who hold power — regardless of party — are worthy of it. The Democratic Party is supposed to stand for something. Let’s act like it. Subscribe now If you’re looking to unleash your potential, find your personal, professional, or political fire, and to connect with a community who is doing the same, click here to learn more.