The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell

Warnings about the lawmaker had long circulated privately. Then a handful of women and online creators pushed them into public view, forcing California’s political establishment to reckon with how far he got.

California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell speaks at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, on Feb. 21, 2026. | Jeff Chiu/AP

Five months before Arielle Fodor, better known on social media as “Mrs. Frazzled,” helped set in motion the downfall of Rep. Eric Swalwell, she was singing his praises on Instagram.

“You know how I love to tell you when I meet a politician who acts like a normal human and not a robot!” she posted the day after the California Democrat launched his campaign for governor. “Eric is that.”

It was a fairly anodyne post for Fodor, a prodigious professional poster. But it drew an unusual response: Three people privately warning her that Swalwell was no good.

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