Ex-Capitol Hill staffer recounts 'uncomfortable' Swalwell interactions amid new reported allegations

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Former East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell is facing renewed scrutiny after a new CNN report detailed accounts from more than a dozen women who described their interactions with him as "uncomfortable."

The report includes a range of allegations spanning more than a decade - from social media messages and late-night communication to more serious claims of sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied those allegations.

One of the women included in CNN's reporting, Amanda Koski, also spoke with ABC7 Eyewitness News.

RELATED: Several women accuse Swalwell of sexual assault; congressman calls claims 'flat false'

Koski, a former Capitol Hill staffer, said she first met Swalwell while working at a pizza restaurant he frequented with his family. She said they exchanged contact information and later had conversations about her career in politics, and also recalled he quickly friend-requested her on social media.

"Due to the nature of the work that I do in politics, I have contact information for a lot of elected officials, so it's not particularly strange," Koski told ABC7. "What is strange is adding somebody on Snapchat and Instagram."

Ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Koski said she reached out to a number of professional contacts to network, including Swalwell. In screenshots of text messages reviewed by ABC7, the former congressman asked where Koski was staying and said "We have to hang!" She responded in-part "absolutely!" but told ABC7 that she never met up with him in Chicago, recounting the text exchange felt weird to her.

"I was like, I know your kids. I've met your wife. Like, what are we doing? It was really, that just seemed rather personal," Koski said.

MORE: New Swalwell accuser says he drugged and raped her in 2018, giving graphic account

Sara Azari, an attorney for Swalwell, told CNN that Swalwell's intention was to help connect Koski to job opportunities and that she sent "repeated follow-up requests" for favors or assistance from him.

Koski emphasized she is not accusing Swalwell of wrongdoing. Instead, Koski said she chose to speak publicly to describe conduct she believes reflects a broader concern about how professional boundaries can blur.

"I have never accused Eric Swalwell of being overly sexual or predatory towards me in any way, shape or form," she said. "He made me feel uncomfortable. And he's made many other women feel uncomfortable. And in retrospect, it does not look good."

Koski also described a more recent interaction after speaking with CNN.

For documentation, she took a screenshot of her Snapchat connection with Swalwell. Days later, the former congressman messaged Koski on Snapchat at 1:57 a.m. asking "why are you screenshotting my snap," according to a video she recorded showing the messages on her phone and shared with ABC7.

He followed up by sending screenshots of prior text messages between them, to which Koski did not respond.

MORE: Rep. Eric Swalwell suspends campaign for CA governor amid sexual assault allegations

"I was on the border of a panic attack," she said, describing her reaction.

Another woman interviewed by CNN described a similar recent message.

In a statement to CNN, Azari said the messages were intended as "acknowledgment, not intimidation," and said nothing in them was "threatening in content, tone, or substance."

Broader allegations detailed in CNN report

CNN's reporting includes additional accounts from more than a dozen women who described interactions they say became increasingly personal or inappropriate. ABC7 has not independently verified those claims.

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN also reported separate allegations from his former staffer of sexual misconduct, including accusations of rape. Swalwell denies those allegations, which are being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Days after those reports, Lonna Drewes, a former Los Angeles model and entrepreneur, held a press conference with her attorneys where she claimed Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office says it has opened an investigation into the allegations and will pursue charges if warranted. Drewes' legal team has not provided evidence of the alleged assault, which Azari said Swalwell "categorically denies."

ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to his legal team with specific details from Koski's account and the broader claims. As of publication, they had not responded.