Two days before Eric Swalwell ended his campaign for California governor amid a string of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, the now former congressman recorded a video at Stephen Cloobeck’s Beverly Hills mansion—reportedly worth $26 million—where he had stayed numerous times during the race.
“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly,” Swalwell said, staring into the camera. “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false.” On Tuesday, he resigned from Congress.
Cloobeck is an offbeat, self-described billionaire who made his fortune in timeshare real estate—though some estimates place his net worth in the mere many millions. He had been making his own bid for governor before dropping out in November and throwing $1 million behind Swalwell. In an interview with Vanity Fair on Monday, he insisted that the allegations that ended Swalwell’s campaign came as a surprise.
“If this was such a big known secret in DC,” Cloobeck tells me, referring to a consensus about Swalwell’s alleged history of misconduct that has formed in the political-journalism corners of social media in recent days, “then how many others are there on the Hill?”
Stephen Cloobeck in Beverly Hills, California.Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images
The 64-year-old tycoon is himself no stranger to the rumor mill. Just prior to the implosion of Swalwell’s political career, Cloobeck had experienced his latest tabloid scandal when his 28-year-old fiancée, an Israeli OnlyFans model and former Penthouse Pet named Adva Lavie, was arraigned on six charges after being accused of committing burglary at the homes of wealthy older men and younger women whom she met through dating apps. (The New York Post later reported that she had previously been married to a porn star known as Big Nick, who was convicted of vehicular manslaughter in 2023 after crashing his Honda into a motorcyclist.) According to prosecutors’ depiction of the honey trap, Lavie, also known as Mia Ventura, posed as a romantic partner or travel companion before stealing cash, gold, and high-end designer goods. She is currently out on bail with an ankle monitor and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Swalwell had been a leading candidate in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom, and his swift fall put a spotlight on his Hollywood and Democratic backers, ranging from Sean Penn and Robert De Niro to Arizona senator Ruben Gallego, whom Swalwell had previously described as his “best friend.” The ex-congressman had risen to prominence as a vocal critic of Donald Trump, serving as an impeachment manager at the end of the president’s first term as well as on the January 6 judiciary subcommittee. The four women who came forward on Friday alleged a long pattern of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape. Cloobeck says he has his share of questions regarding the due diligence process—before Cloobeck ended his candidacy and rallied behind Swalwell, the now former congressman “was vetted by my team and then allegedly vetted by his team.” More immediately, he questioned what to do about the man in his home whom he had come to think of as a “little brother.”
