Katie Porter Denies Direct Relationship With Influencer Spreading Allegations Against Eric Swalwell

Campaign of gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter denies direct relationship with influencer Cheyenne Hunt following viral misconduct claims against Rep. Eric Swalwell.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 11, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT

Source: CBS News California

The Intersection of Academic and Political Networks

Gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell has forcefully denied allegations of inappropriate conduct with female staffers, characterizing the claims as a coordinated attack by political opponents. Central to this friction is Cheyenne Hunt, a progressive activist and executive director of Gen-Z for Change, who has publicly stated she is working with multiple women preparing to come forward. Hunt is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where fellow candidate Katie Porter has served as a longtime professor.

Investigation into their shared history reveals several points of contact. Hunt was enrolled at UCI Law from 2018 to 2021, a period during which Porter was elected to Congress but remained on the faculty. Despite being on leave, Porter continued to reside in on-campus housing and maintained a formal affiliation with the law school. Notably, Porter delivered the commencement address at Hunt’s graduation in 2021, and Hunt later interned in Washington D.C. through a UCI program while Porter served in the House of Representatives.

Campaign Denials and Public Rhetoric

The Porter campaign has moved quickly to distance the candidate from Hunt’s social media campaign. A spokesperson for Porter stated that the two "don't have a relationship to speak of," highlighting that Porter endorsed a different candidate when Hunt ran for an Orange County congressional seat in 2024. However, the tension escalated when Porter appeared on CNN and referenced the "troubling allegations" against Swalwell, specifically mentioning potential claims of sexual assault—a term that had not been explicitly used in Hunt’s public posts at that time.

TRANSFORMATIVE ANALYSIS: This development highlights a modern evolution in political warfare: the use of "influencer proxies" to initiate damaging narratives. While the Porter campaign denies a direct link, the shared institutional ecosystem of UCI Law creates a perception of proximity that is difficult to shake in a high-stakes primary. By mentioning "sexual assault" on national television, Porter effectively amplified the gravity of the rumors, forcing Swalwell into a defensive posture even in the absence of a formal ethics complaint or identified victims.