When stories like this “break” I always have to wonder about the timing. If this has been an open secret for so long, it seems strange that it is just now saturating my feed.

April 11, 2026 - 02:55 UTC

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In this case many of the women accusing Swalwell explicitly said that they only went on record when they were approached by journos and realized that they weren’t the only victim. No one ever wants to be the first one to put their head above the parapet
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Can attest.
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Also I think ”I kept this to myself but I’m coming forward now because I don’t think the person who victimized me should hold a position of power“ is an entirely reasonable course of action
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That happens in pretty much all cases it seems
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There just isn't ever a "good" time to bring forward an account of abuse you survived from a public figure. There's never a time when it isn't disruptive and distressing (both to the abuser and to innocent people). Sometimes you have to do it anyway, at the time *you* can bear to
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I've never named the guy I talk about in this thread. We live on different continents and will never interact again, and I don't see the point in reopening old wounds that have finally mostly healed.

If I found out he were running for a high office, I'd have to rethink that decision.
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It's messy and painful and ugly because abuse is messy and painful and ugly. It fucks people up and distorts not only the relationship between the abuser and the one they hurt, but between each of them and other people. It's complicated and so is the process of telling the truth and trying to heal.
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To wit, when they're running for something is the perfect time to go on record
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In addition to what everyone else is saying, this type of assault is difficult to process. It’s someone you know and trust. You were having fun flirting on Snapchat. You drank too much. He’s your boss, and you don’t want to lose your job or for people to think it’s the only reason you’re here.
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Look at how Stormy Daniels described her encounter with Trump, and the way that she tells it, she says that the entire thing was consensual.

And to anyone reading or listening, it’s rough. He threatened her. He coerced her. And she has the baggage she has and tells herself what she has to.
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NY Mag had a great piece recently by one of the women abused by Matt Lauer. She talks a lot about the fear, shame, and self-doubt that kept her from even telling her family for a long time. But once one person gets up the courage to come forward, it makes it easier for others.
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Thing is, the timing is ALWAYS suspicious. Because today is always interesting, one way or another.

And when a news story is uncomfortable to look at, it can be real appealing to decide that the actually interesting thing is the timing, and the shadowy forces at work.
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Sometime they break at a time like this because a victim decides to go on record because the creep is likely to win and they couldn't live with themselves if that happened and the greater access to potential victims

Going on record is hard and scary
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There are no irreplaceable candidates, and a party that relies on them has much, much bigger problems than a politician of that party going down for committing a crime.
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