Katie Porter and influencer behind Swalwell allegations “don’t have a relationship to speak of,” campaign says

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include new developments, including women coming forward with specific allegations referenced in earlier reporting and calls from Democratic leaders for Rep. Eric Swalwell to step down.     

The influencer behind the now public allegations against gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell has academic and political connections with UC Irvine Law professor and rival candidate Katie Porter. However, the former congresswoman denies any direct relationship. 

Friday, some of the women Cheyenne Hunt had been alluding to in social media posts began to come forward publicly with more specific allegations. 

Democratic leaders are now calling on Swalwell to drop out of the governor’s race.

Swalwell denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers, which his camp previously argued were being amplified by online influencers connected to his political opponents. Several of his staff members have reportedly left the campaign in light of the — now public — allegations.

In the weeks leading up to the women  coming forward, there were accusations that the influencers alluding to forthcoming allegations were connected to one of Swalwell’s political rivals.

Several news outlets referenced social media posts of the influencers with Porter. 

One of those influencers, Cheyenne Hunt, is a self-described progressive activist with a law degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. That is the same law school where fellow gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter is a longtime professor.  

CBS News California investigated the connection then reached out to both Hunt and Porter to publicly clarify the relationship.

Hunt enrolled at UC Irvine Law in the fall of 2018, as Porter was running for Congress. Porter continued living in on-campus housing throughout her time in Congress while she was on leave from her teaching position.  

According to UCI, Hunt interned on Capitol Hill for a Democratic Senator while Porter was serving in the House, and in 2021, Porter delivered the commencement address at Hunt’s graduation. 

Three years later, Hunt ran for an Orange County congressional seat and posted a photograph with Porter on social media, calling her a trailblazer.  

Porter comments on the Swalwell allegations 

“They don’t have a relationship to speak of,” said Peter Opitz, a Porter campaign spokesperson, in an email when asked about the connections. “In fact, Katie endorsed a different candidate when she was running in a neighboring district.”

Opitz pointed to Porter’s appearance Tuesday on CNN, where she raised the allegations of inappropriate behavior by Swalwell and, for the first time, referenced potential claims of sexual assault.

“With regard to Congressman Swalwell, I have seen allegations coming from women staffers. They are very, very troubling allegations,” she said. “It is those women’s stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope that they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so.”

When pressed on whether she had seen any evidence of the allegations, Porter clarified, “I have not spoken to any women who are saying that they’re going to come forward… our focus ought to be on protecting these victims if they have been victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, we ought to be making sure they feel safe and comfortable speaking up.”

CNN repeatedly clarified that it has not independently confirmed allegations of misconduct, noting that Porter used the term “sexual assault,” which had not yet been specifically alleged.

Swalwell’s campaign vehemently denied the claims of inappropriate behavior on Tuesday.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell’s campaign, told POLITICO.

“In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever,” she added. 

Porter-Hunt timeline

• 2018–2021: Hunt attends UC Irvine School of Law
• 2018: Porter elected to Congress
• 2019–2025: Porter serves in Congress while maintaining on-campus housing
• 2020: Hunt interns on Capitol Hill through the UCI program while Porter is there
• 2021: Porter delivers UCI Law commencement address (at Hunt’s graduation)

Hunt — a lawyer, former congressional candidate, and now executive director of Gen-Z for Change— posted on Instagram last month saying she was working with multiple women who were preparing to come forward with allegations of harassment involving Swalwell.

Hunt had not identified any of the women or provided details about the alleged incidents.

While Porter was on leave from UC Irvine, serving in Congress, and Hunt was enrolled there, Porter remained formally affiliated with UCI  law school while serving in Congress and continued living on the UCI campus.

UC Irvine has emphasized Porter’s continued involvement with the school during her time in Congress, including highlighting how she hosted UC Irvine law students in her congressional office during a government shutdown that disrupted externships.

Hunt was part of UC Irvine Law’s Washington pipeline.  In 2020, Hunt participated in UC Irvine Law’s Washington externship program, working as an intern in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office. Hunt has publicly described her role there, including contributing to work during President Trump’s first impeachment, an effort Porter vocally supported.

CBS News California reached out to Hunt on multiple platforms, but has not yet received a response.

(Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated that Hunt ran for Porter’s congressional seat in 2024. Hunt ran for a neighboring Orange County district, CA-45, which was held by Michelle Steele at the time and eventually went to Derek Tran. Porter previously represented California’s 45th district before redistricting renumbered it as CA-47 in 2021/2022.)