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Two days before Eric Swalwell ended his campaign for California<\/a> governor amid a string of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, the now former congressman recorded a video at Stephen Cloobeck\u2019s<\/a> Beverly Hills mansion\u2014reportedly worth $26 million\u2014where he had stayed numerous times during the race.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly,\u201d Swalwell<\/a> said, staring into the camera. \u201cThese allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They\u2019re absolutely false.\u201d On Tuesday, he resigned from Congress.<\/p>\n Cloobeck is an offbeat, self-described billionaire who made his fortune in timeshare real estate\u2014though 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<\/em> on Monday, he insisted that the allegations that ended Swalwell\u2019s campaign came as a surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this was such a big known secret in DC,\u201d Cloobeck tells me, referring to a consensus about Swalwell\u2019s alleged history of misconduct that has formed in the political-journalism corners of social media in recent days, \u201cthen how many others are there on the Hill?\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen Cloobeck in Beverly Hills, California.<\/span>Gonzalo Marroquin\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n The 64-year-old tycoon is himself no stranger to the rumor mill. Just prior to the implosion of Swalwell\u2019s political career, Cloobeck had experienced his latest tabloid scandal when his 28-year-old fianc\u00e9e, 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<\/em> later reported<\/a> 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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n