Arizona Democrat congressional candidate Joanna Mendoza, who is running in the state’s Sixth Congressional District, is refusing to answer questions about her backing from Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and from a PAC founded by his pal, disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
In September, Mendoza celebrated an endorsement from the Future Forum PAC, founded by Swalwell, who has been accused of sexual assault, including rape.
“ENDORSEMENT ALERT! Honored to have the support of Future Forum PAC!” she wrote. “Future Forum is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders in Congress, and together we’ll deliver a stronger, fairer future for every family in #AZ06.”
Notably, the PAC’s website has since erased mentions of Swalwell, despite displaying them previously.
That endorsement, as well as one from Gallego — who once referred to Swalwell as a “best friend“— are prominently displayed on Mendoza’s campaign website.
When asked about this support despite the recent explosion of shocking allegations, Mendoza refused to answer.
She was asked, “Are you still honored to receive the endorsement of Ruben Gallego, best friend of Representative Eric Swalwell? Do you believe him when he says he didn’t know anything about Eric Swalwell’s sexual harassment of women? Are you also aware that Ruben Gallego sexually harassed women?”
The questioner continued, “Are you so honored to receive the endorsement of Gallego, who is Eric Swalwell’s best friend? Do you believe him when he says he knew nothing about Eric Swalwell’s sexual assault of woman?”
Mendoza ignored all the inquiries.
Swalwell first suspended his gubernatorial campaign and later resigned from Congress following an explosion of sexual misconduct allegations against him. One accuser made waves after holding a press conference where she detailed her allegations:
Lonna Drewes detailed her allegations against the Democrat congressman. She said she was working as a model in Beverly Hills in 2018 and owned a fashion software company. She said she met Swalwell socially, and he offered connections to “further” her company.
“I had contact with Eric Swalwell on three separate occasions. After meeting him socially, he offered me connections to further my software company, and I also had an interest in local politics,” she said, explaining that he invited her to two public events.
“I knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant,” she said. “He was my friend.”
She went on to say that she believes Swalwell drugged her, detailing how she ended up in his hotel room. She accused the Democrat lawmaker of raping and choking her to the point she lost consciousness and feared for her life.
“He raped me, and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness, and I thought I died,” she recalled.
“I did not consent to any sexual activity,” she made clear. “Although I did not undergo a rape kit at the time, I disclosed the assault to the people closest to me. I also recorded these events in my handwritten calendar.”
Gallego withdrew support from his friend following the allegations, but he faces some on his own. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said last week that Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office and Senate ethics officials were reviewing information regarding allegations of a sexual incident “and possible campaign finance violations,” as Breitbart News detailed.
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