Hey there, folks.
It is Thursday, April sixteenth, and Eric Swalwell's defense might be starting to take shape because it stars with this regret is not rape and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ roholds. That's going to be catchy. It's going to be repeated to regret is not rape. His attorney is speaking, his defense attorney, and she seems to be going after a particular line of defense.
Yes, she is categorically denying that Eric Swalwall ever, ever participated in non consensual sex. And so she's talking about specifically two of the women who have come forward who have talked about rape, saying years later, she's basically painting a picture that yes, maybe they were in a relationship at a time, maybe they regretted having sex with him, and this is what now they're saying based on those feelings.
And that's a powerful statement. That is catchy.
You know what what But yeah, oh yeah, the regret rape.
But we just heard her, and yes, he does have a female attorney out there publicly defending him for Robes to hear her.
She's doing her job, first of all, she's a defense streight.
But Robes, when when you talk about, and you hear about and so much reporting about women not being believed when they tell their stories. To hear this woman kind of just knocking it down completely, almost dismiss him. Maybe you were in a relationship and you had some shame, or maybe you weren't supposed to this, or maybe she suggested all of these things that kind of flippantly dismissed what has been a week of hemous details being released.
What these women are describing is is not just rape, but violent rape. We're not talking about and I hate to even try to put a category of rape, like, oh, just a nonder sensual, I'm barely awake, I don't know what happened. No, we're describing, or we're hearing being described choking to the point of losing consciousness, feeling like you're going to die. The former staffer saying she had bruises and bleeding, so.
This wasn't just you know, he said.
She said, these accusations are incredibly serious, and she did recognize that. She said, what's being leveled or levied against him is certainly very serious, but she questions the seriousness of the claims themselves.
Okay, let's start with who this attorney is. Her name is Sarah Azeri. She is now representing Eric Swalwell. She has done a couple of media appearances, but Rose has started. She did put out a statement on X This was really the first indication. But Rose, they're making clear here and I think in her interview she's making clear that he's saying, yes, he had sex.
With these women.
Correct, But that's a first that we're hearing. He's only said before I've made mistakes.
Yes, he hasn't gotten too specific about that, and he's apologized first and foremost to his family in any statement he's made, and then his constituents.
But this is what his attorney had to say.
Congressman Eric Swalwell categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him. These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive, a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service.
Qut I went back every he denies every allegation of sexual misconduct, correct, everything, not just am I reading this the way he's saying, where you are that everything that's been put out there, not just the rapes.
Yes, and they're basically saying that they think this was a co coordinated, calculated, political, politically motivated hit job to make sure he did not become California's next governor. Okay, she goes on to say, yes, the timing nature and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. This is neither about justice nor the truth. This is a ruthless and shameless attack or attempt to smear Congressman Swallwell.
Former Congressman Swallwell.
That's actually a very good point.
Congressman Swalwell has devoted his career to defending the Constitution, protecting civil liberties, and standing up to those who abuse power. He has never wavered in that fight, and he will not waver now. We will fight these despicable and baseless accusations with the same tenacity, courage, and conviction that has defined the Congressman's public service. You know she was talking about how he was a former prosecutor.
I actually didn't know that. That's fascinating, dude, Lawyer.
Even one of the I can't remember which one it was, who said they feared him, and that was a part of it.
It's like this guy used to be a prosecutor. He knows law. But yeah, this. I was surprised by that.
Paragraph from the statement because it almost signs him up as a hero. It almost right says, oh, no, this is a fighter. He has been standing up whether he's going to key. I thought that was a it was a choice.
It's funny you say that because she actually said I believe.
Listening to her make the rounds on the media, she used.
Words first of all, that she fully believes him, and second because not all lawyers say that, and second that she was proud of him, that she was proud of him for putting his constituents first, his family first, and by stepping down from office as a congressman and stepping out of the race. Did not imply or mean in any way, shape or form that he was admitting guilt to committing any of these acts, but merely acknowledging what a distraction this was. How could he possibly continue to
run for governor? How could he possibly serve his constituents if he's fighting all of these attacks. So yes, almost as if he took one for the team. Yes, that he was basically sacrificing his own political ambitions for the better of Californians.
That's basically what.
She was saying, and it was interesting.
I mean, this tact seems to be not just a matter of keeping him out of jail, but also possibly getting him back into the good graces of some voter at some point down the road. I just thought it was interesting that she went fully in that direction.
The interview. I mean, the statement is one thing. I thought.
A bunch of the things she said in the interview. Who do we see it with News Nation this week?
Was interesting?
Well, first of all, we should say we shouldn't be hearing anything else from him.
She did say she advised.
Him not to speak, so don't expect any more comments from him. She talked about this being two consenting adults. This is significant that this would be and I'm not
reading Tea Leaves here. This is her acknowledging for the first time that yes, in fact, aren't isn't he She suggesting Robes that in both instances, that the incidents having to do with his staffer and the instance having to do with a woman who just came forward this week, that he is admitting to sexual relationships with both of these women.
It sounded that way because she said, I don't care if you like him. I don't care if you are passing judgment because of inappropriate sex or immoral sex. The issue that we're talking about here is whether it was unconsensual sex, criminal sex, and you know, two adults consenting, which is our position, is not against the law. And so what I say to jurors, I'm going to tell your audience. And this is where she said, regret is not rape. So it seems like in that statement alone,
there is an absolute acknowledgment that he had sex. And I just thought it was interesting because she talked about inappropriate or immoral maybe out of wedlock. Yeah, that must have been what she meant, because I was wondering, even with these allegations of choking, if maybe they're going to claim that these women liked it rough or were.
Into that kind of sex.
That's where I was thinking, is she going to even go there or even kind of imply that somehow this was an agreed upon activity between the two And the problem with that is it is a he said, that is no proof, Like, how do you know all all we can say is We saw that press conference and it was pretty damn compelling.
But a part of that press conference road, we heard a lot about receipts. We heard a lot about them having documentation, heard a lot about the woman making handwritten notes about what she went through the documentation, about the woman going to a treatment facility to get help for dealing with sexual assault.
We heard about it.
So many receipts that they have, well, ording to Swallow's attorney, they got receipts to stay here, all right, we continue here on Amy and TJ. Eric Swalwell's defense starting to take shape. Regret is not rape is the stance his attorney is taking ropes. I don't know what she could have been suggesting in her interview in what she said. I mean, she was pretty defiant. They got receipts. We got receipts too, But she didn't elaborate.
Well and we did hear earlier from at least folks who were defending Eric Swalwell.
In the beginning, just talks about talking about the text.
Messages after the fact, after the alleged incidents happened, and that always usually is something that people try to say, is their receipt but actually people will tell you that's pretty common from people who have been sexually abused.
And she does, I mean Sarah the staffer, the former staffer that we're talking about, she in fact.
Did, and they say they have it.
It's documented that she spoke to friends, spoke to family members, the woman in La and keep saying the.
Woman in La.
We know her name, Lota dress at.
DRIs, same thing she said, not just that treatment facility in Connecticut. I believe it was Rose, but she has as well said she reached out to family members and said what had happened to her? So we haven't seen that stuff. They're just saying they have this stuff. I don't know what Eric Swolwell could could offer to refute that, other than what old text messages.
Well, probably the niceties back and forth, maybe them thanking him. Look, Harvey Weinstein tried the same ploy to say, hey, look after the fact, after they claim I did all these terrible things to them, which I'm saying was consensual. Look at all the texts and emails they sent me thanking me, inviting me to their wedding. So that has been tried and used before, and it hasn't necessarily worked. Into the advantage of the person being accused of rich you.
Know now that you remind me of it. It's almost like the first defense. If it's say, look at all these nice things, who would say that if I had abused the.
Correction, why would they come back? Why would they ask me out for a drink? Why would they keep you returning to see me and want me to be a part of their lives. But again, you have a lot of psychologists will testify that this is extremely common. So it hasn't worked, at least in the trials that we have witnessed that that line of defense doesn't typically work.
And look, we don't know yet what the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is going to do, what the New York the Manhattan District Attorney's office is going to do, but we do know that those investigations are ongoing. And you see his attorney trying to say, let this all play out in the actual course, not the court of public opinion. We're not going to win in the court
of public opinion. And she is right because at this point, hearing these women's accounts, hearing especially Lana Drew's, put her name and face to it and really go through the details of what she says she suffered.
That is hard to.
Go up against, certainly when it comes to what people and especially women might be thinking when they hear these other women so powerfully tell their story.
Yeah, and to hear it, and it was the most difficult part for me to hear. And I bet a lot of survivors had a difficult time with it too. And I don't know if it should make a difference that it was a woman saying it, but Rope, we have been hearing a bunch of difficult, awful stories from quite frankly credible sounding women.
And as they give that detail and we talk about bravery and coming forward.
You talk about Lanna Druis out drews out in California and all it took, and we watched the pain on her face. And now here's another woman out there publicly saying, maybe you had a boyfriend, maybe you weren't supposed to do this, maybe you felt some shame. Later Ropes, that moment is something that women experience and survivors experience when they watch TV over the years and they see debates
online that has to sting and hurt like hell. Robes we have seen these incredible stories and to have somebody else just come out and say they're explaining your story away by simply saying you were dating somebody probably didn't want to get caught cheating. Ah, maybe you just felt some shame later. And it was so easily dismissive robes of some pretty incredible stories.
And that is why women don't come forward. That is why you hear this rallying cry that moment. If women say something happened, believe them because that line of argument and discrediting victims and going then into their personal lives, seeing how they may have acted or dressed or spoke, like, everything about their lives and how they conducted themselves suddenly is under incredible scrutiny. And that weight of that scrutiny sometimes is just too much for victims to bear, and
a lot of women choose not to come forward. So I do think it's pretty remarkable when you have someone put their face, put their name, and tell their story in front of cameras and do so eloquently.
I mean, she that is brave. That is not a fun position to.
Be and you are now going to be scrutinized to a level you probably can't even imagine, and that is why she probably didn't go to police until now. But no statute of limitations on her allegations in the state of California. And so look at this point now we are waiting for the investigative process to go through and these receipts that everyone says they have, well, the good news is that is in the hands of police and
the district attorney's offices and each locale. They will make the decision whether or not there is enough evidence to press charges against Eric Swalwell, but certainly his attorney trying to get in front of it and telling a much different story than the ones we are hearing from those women. We will, of course stay on top of this developing, developing story with Eric Swalwell. But as always, thank you so much for listening to us.
Everybody. I'm Ami Robock alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
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