Disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was once dubbed the “Snapchat king of Congress,” years before his career was derailed by newly surfaced sexual misconduct allegations.
Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his California gubernatorial bid amid the fallout of damning reports alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault.
In his public statements, Swalwell has fiercely denied the criminal allegations but admittedly suggested he had acted inappropriately outside his marriage in the past.
Among the allegations are accusations he sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to women he had met in professional settings on Snapchat, the popular social media platform known for allowing messages and images to disappear.
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In 2016, Swalwell was the subject of a glowing report from The Hill by tech journalist Taylor Lorenz about his use of the platform, which at the time was seldom used by politicians.
“Imagine a typical Snapchat user, and you probably don’t think of a 35-year-old straight-laced congressman from California,” Lorenz began the report. “But in a few short months, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has skyrocketed to success on the app, using the platform to connect with constituents and grow his base.
“The result is an entertaining feed of short videos, photos and an unfiltered peek into the daily life of a congressman. He snaps photos of his daily commute, shoots videos from his hometown in northern California, and documents his daily meetings as a representative of California’s 15th district,” she wrote.
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In an interview with Lorenz, Swalwell mentioned how “so many of our constituents” were on Snapchat and not just “young people.”
“That’s when I realized that a lot of people are really going there, whether it’s for getting news, staying in touch with friends, just cool, fun, interesting things that disappear in 24 hours,” Swalwell said at the time. “We just realized that this was another way to communicate directly with constituents.”
Swalwell boasted his growing following on the platform, telling Lorenz, “People now come up to me at the grocery store or in our community and say, ‘Hey, I like your Snapchat.’
“I want people back home to know that I haven’t forgotten about the responsibility of sharing what I do here as the person they elected.”
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According to the report, Swalwell offered “personal Snapchat lessons” to colleagues on Capitol Hill and even “carried around a stack of homemade Snapchat flyers that he hands out on the House floor.”
“It may seem strange for a member of Congress to be so enamored with a social media messaging app, but Swalwell says he is passionate about mobile technology and the opportunities it provides,” Lorenz wrote.
Looking back at her report nearly a decade later, Lorenz told Fox News Digital, “I’m horrified and disgusted by the stories coming out about his behavior. The fact that someone in his position of power was allegedly using social media to groom young women is very disturbing. I think we are all probably reading this story about his Snapchat use in a new light.”
Swalwell’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
