The House Ethics Committee announced Monday they will investigate allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The announcement comes amid a growing bipartisan push to oust Swalwell after a handful of his former staff members accused him of sexual misconduct, and as House members seek a broader reckoning for lawmakers accused of sexual or other wrongdoing.
Swalwell, who suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday evening, apologized for “mistakes in judgment” yet denied the “false allegations.” Four women came forward over the weekend accusing him of a wide range of sexual misconduct including rape, and members immediately sounded calls for his resignation. The allegations were originally reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
Swalwell’s campaign announcement effectively enabled the Ethics Committee to investigate. Ethics committee rules prohibit the panel from receiving referrals from the Board of the Office of Congressional Conduct of any complaint submitted within 60 days before a federal, state or local election in which the subject of a complaint is a candidate. The California primary election is on June 2.
“This has not been easy for me or the other women. I have so much respect for them for telling their stories,” Ally Sammarco, a social media creator who accused Swalwell of sending her unsolicited sexual messages, posted on X. “I shared mine publicly because I have a platform and resources that others may not — and I wanted to help validate their experiences.”
Scrutiny of Swalwell comes as members also urge Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, to resign. Gonzales is facing allegations of an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, and Mills, who also faces allegations of sexual misconduct, came under scrutiny after his ex-girlfriend had a protective order issued against him.
The Ethics Committee is investigating both Gonzales and Mills. Gonzales has since dropped out of his reelection campaign but has denied the allegations, despite the release of text messages between him and the late district staffer. Mills is still running for reelection.
“Men in power rely on the silence of the women they have abused. Both Reps. Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell believed it was acceptable to sexually abuse staff and still run for and serve in elected office. They clearly did not expect there would be any consequences for their actions,” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, said Sunday.
Leger Fernández said she would introduce a resolution this week to expel Swalwell, which seems to be gaining support from members across the aisle.
“Women working in the halls of Congress deserve to know that, as an institution, we have their backs and that we condemn this behavior at the highest level,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Addison McDowell said on X Sunday evening.
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would “be voting yes on both measures” and that “both gentlemen need to go” if expulsions of Swalwell and Gonzales came to the floor.
While these allegations can be investigated by the Ethics Committee, the panel loses jurisdiction over members once they leave Congress. Its investigations also move slowly, and its opaque nature has given it the reputation of being the place “investigations go to die,” according to members.
Other members who have called for the resignation and expulsion of the two include Reps. Nydia M. Velazquez, D-N.Y., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., among others. Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has said she will introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell.
Velazquez also said she wants Mills and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., who was recently found to have violated 25 of 27 counts of misconduct by the Ethics Committee, to resign as well.
Cherfilus-McCormick faces ethics investigations related to allegations she used FEMA overpayments to support her 2021 run for office. Democrats have largely avoided weighing in on Cherfilus-McCormick, many deferring to a forthcoming recommendation from the Ethics Committee.
“If you sexually assaulted someone, you should not be serving in Congress—[or as President]. Period,” wrote Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M.
A group of 50 former staffers for Swalwell also called for his resignation as well. The move is considered notable — staffers rarely put their names on things publicly.
“Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him, reported to him, or placed their trust in him,” the staffers wrote.
Some are also hoping an expulsion attempt will also include Cherfilus-McCormick. A hearing for Cherfilus-McCormick to determine a recommendation to determine what, if any, sanction the full House should proceed with is scheduled for April 21.
“Eric Swalwell, Tony Gonzalez [sic], and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should all resign from Congress effective immediately,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote on social media. “If not, Congress should move to expel all three of them upon our return this week.”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Democratic leadership have yet to call for Swalwell and Cherfilus-McCormick to resign, and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has yet to call for Gonzales and Mills to step down.
“Time for some ‘House’ cleaning,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., posted on social media.
