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Swalwell Accuser Speaks Out; Second Round of Iran Talks?; Husband of Missing Woman Released in Bahamas. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired April 14, 2026 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:00:00]

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: They're all running for the House.

Alexander Vindman, who was a key witness in President Trump's first impeachment, is running for Senate in Florida. And this is not an exhaustive list.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, it's an interesting collection of people, no doubt, and more than three certainly makes a trend to look at here.

These are people who were from their positions of service inside some of the institutions that came under a lot of stress in Trump one and the years thereafter. My question is -- so they are utilizing their fame a little bit, but my question is, will it meet the voters where they are right now?

It's like the thrust of the democracy piece, and is that going to be the thing in 2026? And I think that will be a question for these candidates to answer on the trail.

BASH: So true.

Thank you all. Appreciate it.

Thank you for joining INSIDE POLITICS. "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: It's not over yet, the White House eying a second round of in-person talks with Iran, though disagreements over Tehran's nuclear ambitions could derail any hope for a deal.

And he's out, Congressman Eric Swalwell resigning after explosive allegations of sexual misconduct. We have a reaction from one of his accusers straight ahead.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: The husband of an American woman who went missing in the Bahamas released without charges. Now he's telling his side of the story.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: We start this hour with historic talks in the war in the Middle East.

For the first time in more than 40 years, high-level diplomats from Israel and Lebanon are meeting face-to-face, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the delegations.

Lebanon is demanding a cease-fire, as Israel, just before the meeting began, launched new strikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours, but we can begin to move forward and create the framework where something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent, so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve and so that the people of Israel can live without fear and be struck by rocket attacks from a terrorist proxy of Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: At the same time, CNN is hearing from sources that Trump officials are discussing a second round of talks with Iran. Remember that President Trump's cease-fire deal with Tehran expires in a week from today.

Earlier, the president telling a "New York Post" reported they should stay in Pakistan, where the talks were taking place, because -- quote -- "Something could be happening over the next two days."

Iran's nuclear future, of course, the main sticking point, as the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports now hits 27 hours.

Let's go live to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who's in Tel Aviv for us.

So, Jeremy, what is the latest that you're hearing on these talks between Israel and Lebanon?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, these negotiations began about two hours ago, the highest-level meeting between Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than 40 years.

So there is some history here being made today. But in terms of what can actually be accomplished at these talks, there's a much bigger question mark around that. And that is because the two sides are really in very different places in terms of where to even begin these discussions.

The Lebanese, for their part, entered these negotiations demanding that Israel agree to cease-fire in Lebanon as a condition for actually entering the substance of these negotiations about disarming Hezbollah and ultimately engaging -- potentially establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.

We know that the Israelis are -- have certainly been under significant pressure from the United States to scale back strikes in Lebanon and also to engage in these negotiations with the Lebanese government. That is why the Israelis are at the table at this moment, also given the broader implications that all of this could have for the broader U.S.-Iran cease-fire agreement.

And so as these two sides sit down to the table, we don't yet know whether there's an agreement on ceasing fire in Lebanon in order for these talks to proceed. But the Israeli prime minister has said that he will not agree to a cease-fire.

And, today, we have continued to see strikes in Lebanon. At least 35 people have been killed in Lebanon over the last 24 hours. In addition, we saw Hezbollah rockets being fired at Northern Israel right as these negotiators were sitting down.

SANCHEZ: And, Jeremy, what's the latest on the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports?

DIAMOND: Well, Boris, we are seeing a huge effort from the United States to enforce this new blockade, more than 10,000 service members involved, more than a dozen ships, more than a dozen aircraft also involved in this blockade effort.

And, so far, CENTCOM, which is responsible for this area of military activity, says that no ships that would have been subject to this blockade have made it through in the first 24 hours of its enforcement. They say that six merchant vessels have been turned around and have obeyed U.S. instructions to turn around and go back to Iranian ports.

[13:05:04]

We have seen marine traffic data, though, indicating that at least two ships that were previously sanctioned by the United States for ties to Iran did transit through the Strait of Hormuz during this blockade period. But it's not clear if they were coming from Iranian ports, which would have made them subject to this blockade.

What isn't known, Boris, is the kind of broader implications of all of this, because not allowing any ships from Iranian ports means no Iranian oil getting out to export, and that could skyrocket oil prices globally.

And so, ultimately, we will see what the impact of that is on the negotiating table, because there is pain for Iran here, but there's also potentially pain for the United States, for gas prices in the United States the longer this continues on. A lot of questions about how this will impact negotiations.

President Trump today once again, expressing some optimism that talks will proceed, perhaps as soon as later this week -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Jeremy Diamond, live for us in Tel Aviv, thank you so much for that update -- Erica.

HILL: We are tracking the fallout after two members of Congress, Democrat Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas, both announced their plans to resign in the wake of explosive allegations of sexual misconduct.

Now, the lawmakers were also facing mounting pressure to step down or face possible expulsion votes as early as this week. The announcement from Gonzales comes after he acknowledged last month that he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

Swalwell is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including in one case a former staffer who accuses him of sexual assault. Swalwell has denied the allegations.

In her first sit-down interview, a different Swalwell accuser, social media creator Ally Sammarco, described receiving unsolicited sexual messages from the congressman. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLY SAMMARCO, SWALWELL ACCUSER: The messages gradually became more inappropriate and they became later into the night, times that nobody should be talking to a congressman or congressman should be talking to a young girl.

And he would say things like: "What are you doing? What are you wearing? Send me a photo of what you're doing right now." And then, eventually, one night, we were talking and he just sent me a photo of his genitals.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Unsolicited.

SAMMARCO: Unsolicited, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Pamela Brown joins us now.

So, Pamela, you sat down with Ally Sammarco, the woman who you spoke with there, just moments after...

BROWN: Yes.

HILL: ... Eric Swalwell announced yesterday he was resigning. How was she in that moment when she learned the news?

BROWN: Yes, it was quite the timing when she learned the news.

And she said that she was happy that he did resign and she thought it should have been sooner. And this was her first sit-down interview on camera just moments as this was all swirling. After our piece came out on Friday with the four accusers, you have Eric Swalwell stepping out of the governor's race and then resigning from Congress just yesterday.

So we have -- Sammarco was one of four women who came forward to CNN with these reports of sexual misconduct, which he denies. She is the only accuser to identify herself publicly so far. She says she felt compelled to come out because she wanted to help other women. And when she realized that she wasn't alone, she felt like it was really important to give a voice to the other women who may still want to remain anonymous or who haven't come forward yet in any way.

So we talked a lot about what you just heard there in that sound bite, those unsolicited sexual-in-nature pictures that she received and some of the communications that the two had together. And I just asked her about this rapid fall from grace from Eric Swalwell, who has denied these allegations and says he will fight the more serious allegations like sexual assault, and what she thinks about all of this after coming forward Friday in our piece.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMMARCO: I think that it was 100 percent the right thing for him to do. I think it should have been done even sooner but I'm glad that he did it. I don't think that's putting him back into a congressional office would have been good for anybody.

And I don't think those women in his office or on Capitol Hill in general should be around him for one more day. So I am glad that they won't have to endure that and it's over for them.

He never should have ran for governor to begin with knowing what he knows. And nobody else is responsible for what happened to him. Eric Swalwell is responsible for Eric Swalwell, not the media and definitely not the women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And she made clear that she's not getting paid in any way. She just felt like it was the right thing to do once she learned there were other women as well.

Swalwell released a statement on social media yesterday saying that he plans to resign from Congress to get ahead of a planned expulsion vote, as we discussed, Erica. And in that statement, he did admit to mistakes in judgment in the past. He did not specify what those mistakes in judgment are.

[13:10:06]

He did say in an earlier video on Friday that he had apologized to his wife. So he also says, though, as I noted, he's going to fight the more serious sexual assault allegation that now the Manhattan DA's office is investigating.

HILL: Yes, it is really something, and incredible reporting by you and your team, Pamela. I know you're going to continue to stay on it as well, because really in many ways likely just the beginning...

BROWN: Yes.

HILL: ... as there is more fallout. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BROWN: Thank you. HILL: Still to come here: Do Americans think this war is actually

worth the price tag? We're going to talk to drivers directly. We will take you to a gas station in the swing state of Georgia.

Plus, we are hearing directly from the husband of the American woman believed to be lost at sea in the Bahamas. He's describing now the moment he says she fell off their dinghy and vanished.

Plus, the director of Camp Mystic testifying about sleeping through a code red alert the night that flash flooding killed 27 campers and counselors.

That and much more ahead. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:15:26]

SANCHEZ: Oil prices are easing a bit today, trading below $100 a barrel, as investors cling to hope that the U.S. and Iran are considering a new round of peace talks. Gas prices ticked down slightly overnight, still, though, substantially higher than before the start of the war.

CNN's Rafael Romo joins us now from a gas station in Atlanta, where he's been speaking to drivers that have felt the pain at the pump.

Rafael, what have they shared with you?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, for sure.

They're feeling the pain, Boris. And drivers here in the South and across the nation are feeling, yes, the high cost of gasoline, but, at the same time, Boris, prices went down minimally in the last 24 hours. And by minimally, I mean about 1 cent per gallon between Monday and Tuesday when it comes to the national average for regular gas.

The shipping blockade against Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz by the U.S. military under President Trump's orders is only expected to further tighten the global oil supply after Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 7 percent to $102 a barrel on Monday.

Earlier this morning, the price went down by 0.8 percent on the day at $98.60 a barrel. The WTI, the U.S. benchmark, dropped 2 percent to $97.10 a barrel. And prices went down in part because some analysts are still hopeful.

Writing about the falls in -- the fallen prices in a note today, Deutsche Bank analysts pointed to growing hopes that the U.S. and Iran might still reach some kind of deal.

Earlier, we spoke to a driver here at this gas station in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood who told us he's thinking about living -- the people who are living paycheck to paycheck. This is what he said. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE MOONEY, ATLANTA: I'm from Texas and part of the oil business from way back when. So I know what it's like to have really cheap gas and really expensive gas. If, in the long term, it's good for the country and good for the world, then we're all going to have to suffer a little bit.

Now, that's not fair to the common person or somebody earning hour -- minimum wage. And I understand that completely, because I have been there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And, Boris, other drivers are less supportive of the war, saying that they do not understand in the first place why the U.S. has gone to the Middle East again -- now back to you.

SANCHEZ: Rafael Romo in Atlanta for us.

Thank you so much, Rafael.

We have an update for you on the dangerous week of severe storms we have seen across the Central U.S. that's already left a trail of destruction from flooding and multiple tornadoes, dozens of twisters reported in Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

This one was spotted just south of Minneapolis. Now, the state was also battered by heavy rain and baseball-sized hail. And look at this flooding in Michigan, levels rising to the edge of one homeowner's porch. Meantime, in Kansas, the storm system severely damaged or demolished several buildings and knocked out power. Forecasters say more dangerous weather is expected throughout Friday.

We have also been tracking the search for an American woman missing in the Bahamas. Her husband was just released from custody without any charges filed against him. And now, for the first time, we're hearing him in his own words describing the moment he says she went missing. We will have that for you after a quick break.

Plus, cameras capturing the moment a Molotov cocktail is thrown at Sam Altman's home. We have new details about the suspect who targeted the CEO of OpenAI.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:23:31]

HILL: We are now hearing from the Michigan man who says his wife fell overboard while the couple was in the Bahamas.

CNN has obtained an audio recording in which Brian Hooker details his account of how he says his wife, Lynette, vanished into the open waters by Elbow Cay on April 4. So, last week Hooker, of course, was arrested in his wife's disappearance. Last night, the Royal Bahamas police released Hooker without any charges.

After being let go, here's what he told CBS News:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN HOOKER, HUSBAND OF LYNETTE HOOKER: I won't be able to stop looking.

QUESTION: You want to keep looking for Lynette?

HOOKER: I'm going to need somebody with more authority to tell me to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN's Dianne Gallagher has been following all the developments in this story.

So, as I mentioned too, we obtained this audio recording. What more did he say on that piece of tape, Dianne?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and, Erica, I'm going to play that for you in just a moment.

But Brian Hooker isn't the only person who hopes that Lynette is still out there more than a week after she disappeared at sea. Just after he was released, I reached out to her daughter, Karli, about that.

And she told me -- quote -- "That as long as there has been a thorough investigation into all of the facts, then I will have to live with the fact that it's an accident. But I don't think this is the end."

Now, Karli has said she just wants truth and closure. She is headed to the Bahamas herself later this week. The whole time, though, Lynette's family has said part of the problem is that Brian's original story to police simply did not make sense to them. It didn't add up.

[13:25:03]

And you're going to get a chance to hear him tell that in his own words here. The day before he was taken into custody, Brian spoke with a friend in the sailing community about what happened.

Blaine Stevenson said that Brian did not know that he was being recorded at the time. But he did it because he wanted to get the places that Brian was mentioning because he was unfamiliar with the area. He said that he published this recording because, after Brian was detained, he couldn't speak for himself, but also because he said that maybe it could help in the search for Lynette.

People who were looking for her could hear this account, and those in the sailing community might -- would know if in fact it was accurate. So here are a few clips of Brian explaining the chaotic series of events that happened on the night of April 4.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HOOKER: The wind blew us apart so fast that I think -- I think she tried to swim back to the sailboat, back to our sailboat, which was probably, I don't know, 1,000 yards or something.

But the waves were three foot. And I was trying to shift to oars. And one of the pins on the oars broke. And that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) dropped over the side. And I was yelling for her the whole time.

And I yelled to her that I lost a oar. And I threw the anchor out and anchored the dinghy. And just -- yes, I yelled. I threw her a flotation cushion that we use to sit on the dinghy right after she went in.

But I didn't -- I couldn't tell if she got it or not. So, after an hour of calling her, I could -- I never heard her voice. And a powerboat came by. And I waved my flashlight on the -- on my phone. And they were so fast that they didn't even see it.

And then as another one came by right behind it, sort of five minutes behind it, and I had -- I grabbed the flares by then. I had came with -- I had two flares. And they didn't see the flares, I guess.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Now, Brian in that dinghy washed up a few miles across the water in Marsh Harbor about 4:00 in the morning on Easter Sunday. That's when Lynette was reported missing.

Now, back on April 11, we asked Brian's attorney about this recording. She said she couldn't confirm it was him and she has not answered subsequent questions from us about it. Again, Brian has not been charged with anything. He has said that he has told media outlets he plans to stay in the Bahamas as long as his visa will allow to continue searching for his wife.

The U.S. Coast Guard also has an open criminal investigation into Lynette Hooker's disappearance. Of course, again, Erica, she's been missing for more than a week. Her family has said they just want closure. They want answers. They want to find her.

HILL: Yes, understandably.

Dianne, appreciate it. Thank you.

Israel and Lebanon just wrapping up their highest-level direct talks in more than 40 years. What we're learning from those discussions, that's next.

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