The war between Congressman Eric Swalwell and the district attorney who represents much of his congressional district escalated over the weekend with a lawsuit filed by Swalwell for defamation.Swalwell had threatened this lawsuit a couple weeks back, after Alameda County District Attorney escalated things herself, suggesting that Swalwell had something "to hide" in his past working under Price's predecessor — which was apparently her retaliation for his having backed the recall effort against her."Pamela Price leaves me no choice but to file this claim against her for her deliberate and untrue statements," Swalwell said in a statement Sunday, per KRON4. "No one is above the law, especially the Alameda County District Attorney. Price may be trying to run out the clock to her likely recall, but her intimidating tactics and efforts to seek political retribution can not stand. I will not allow her to try to damage my personal and professional reputation."Swalwell's attorneys at the firm of Goethals & Stone sent a letter to Price on October 19 asking her to retract her statements, calling them "false and scurrilous attacks" that were "put forth in the public arena."These statements included that Swalwell previously supported the death penalty, which he says is patently untrue. And they suggest that Swalwell wants to "shield himself" from being "implicated in unethical practices," adding that the "truth will reveal uncomfortable connections."Price went on to suggest that while Swalwell served as Assistant District Attorney under former DA Nancy O'Malley, he engaged in "prosecutorial misconduct" and that the office "systematically excluded" Black, Jewish, and gay jurors from serving on juries.In a statement to KRON4, attorney Joseph Goethals said, "We believe it’s critical to hold top law officials accountable for their statements. Pam Price has lost the trust of the voters and is failing the public by spreading malicious lies about elected officials."Goethals adds that "there is no basis for these malicious lies," and "This recall effort shows that the voters have lost faith in Pam Price’s ability to keep the public safe and her actions over the last few months shows she has a casual relationship with the truth, failing in her duty to uphold integrity."Price's office issued a statement in response, saying, "While Congressman Swalwell continues to focus on frivolous threats and meritless endeavors, DA Pamela Price will continue to find ways to work cohesively with elected leaders and community members who are focused on public safety in Alameda County."The first Black woman to serve as district attorney in Alameda County, Price was elected on a progressive platform with 53 percent of the vote in 2022.We don't have great polling data on the recall effort, but as of July, a small-scale survey found voters in Oakland supporting the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao, but the campaign to recall Price was losing by a few percentage points at that time.The Alameda County Democratic Party came out in opposition to both recall efforts in September.Previously: Florida Man Arrested After Threatening to Kill Rep. Eric Swalwell's KidsTop image: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) departs from the U.S. Capitol Building on September 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. Ahead of starting a six week recess to campaign for midterms, the House of Representatives held two final votes, including one for the continuing resolution to fund the federal government until December 16th. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)