A major donor has cut ties with Rep. Eric Swalwell after explosive allegations and a sudden end to his run for governor, publicly renouncing his party and barring Swalwell from his California home. The split highlights mounting pressure on the congressman from donors and fellow Democrats as reports and accusations compound. Donations and favors once extended to Swalwell are now under scrutiny as his political future shifts dramatically. The episode underscores how quickly political support can evaporate when serious allegations come to light.
The donor at the center of this rupture is Stephen Cloobeck, founder of a national hospitality company, who had supported Swalwell since 2017. Cloobeck made a sharp public break almost immediately after Swalwell stepped away from the governor’s race, signaling he would no longer back him. His remarks were blunt and categorical, leaving no mistaking his anger toward the party he once supported. This move is being read as a clear message to Democrats that donors expect accountability.
Cloobeck left no doubt about his change of mind in his own words. “I am no longer supporting Eric. F—ing tell everyone I’m a libertarian. F— you, Democrat Party. I’m a libertarian now,” Cloobeck told the Post. He added, “I am now a Republican,” in another interview, making his political turn plain. Those statements have reverberated in political circles as an unusually public and raw disavowal of a prominent elected official.
Beyond rhetoric, Cloobeck has acted on his words: Swalwell is no longer welcome at Cloobeck’s California residence. “I have a lot of people who stay at my house. I built a gorgeous place, my dream home, I relish it, and I’m a very generous man. I’m very thoughtful and I’m very kind,” Cloobeck said, explaining his decision to protect his guests and household. That eviction is a tangible consequence that moves the story from campaign headlines into private, personal fallout. It shows how accusations can threaten both public careers and private associations.
Cloobeck’s past support for Swalwell included donations and personal gifts, facts that now draw attention as the relationship unravels. He gave more than $23,000 to Swalwell’s campaigns between 2017 and 2023, and reportedly paid for a pricey overseas flight as a gift. Those contributions are part of the record that illuminates how close the donor and the congressman once were. Now those past favors are being reassessed in light of new allegations.
Swalwell’s decision to suspend his campaign followed a wave of reporting and public accusations that intensified over several days. A prominent local report detailed multiple accounts alleging improper behavior, and a former staffer began circulating testimony from women claiming mistreatment. “The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media. Those claims touched off a firestorm that even led senior party figures to call for Swalwell to step aside.
High-profile Democrats weighed in and the pressure grew quickly, with party leaders urging an exit from the race. Facing that chorus, Swalwell announced he would halt his campaign and address the allegations on his own terms. “I am suspending my campaign for governor. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not the campaign’s,” Swalwell said in a post to X. That statement did not quiet critics or close the review from ethics and party officials.
Cloobeck did not limit his frustration to one figure, hinting that his split might signal a broader withdrawal of support from the Democratic Party. “I’m going to change my Godd— party affiliation, because I cannot stand this Democratic Party at all,” he said. “I am done. Finito.” Whether Cloobeck ultimately backs Republican candidates or simply leaves party politics behind, his public renunciation is a dramatic example of a donor turning away from a party over perceived failures to police behavior.
The situation remains fluid as investigations and public debates continue. House disclosures and media reports will keep the spotlight on past gifts and the relationship between donor and politician, while ethics inquiries proceed. For now, the swift collapse of a donor relationship and the suspension of a campaign illustrate how allegations can rapidly alter the political landscape and force hard choices for both elected officials and their benefactors.
Graduate Student, wife, engaged political and legal writer.