The scandal engulfing Rep. Eric Swalwell is no longer just a crisis for one California Democrat, but becoming a test of whether the House is willing to open the door to a broader round of punishment votes against members in both parties who are already facing serious allegations or ethics findings.
According to Axios, lawmakers returning from the April recess could soon face not just a vote to expel Swalwell, but a potential chain reaction involving at least three other members: Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla.
The report noted that some members in both parties are privately discussing whether to move against several lawmakers at once rather than continue handling each scandal in isolation.
The Swalwell case is the immediate trigger, as the House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it has opened an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee who worked under his supervision.
The development came after Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, accusations he has denied. The committee stressed that opening an investigation does not mean a violation has been found.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. plans to force a House vote next week on expelling Swalwell, the outlet added. In response, Democrats are preparing a push aimed at Gonzales, also facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
The larger fear inside the chamber, Axios wrote, is that once one expulsion vote reaches the floor, others may follow quickly because members in both parties are frustrated by what they see as a backlog of unresolved scandals.
Axios said Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills are also being watched as possible targets if the House shows it is willing to use its most severe punishment. Cherfilus-McCormick's case is especially advanced as the House Ethics Committee said on March 27 that an adjudicatory subcommittee found Counts 1 through 15 and 17 through 26 in its statement of alleged violations had been proven, and that the full committee will decide what sanction to recommend after recess. Cherfilus-McCormick is alleged to have funneled $5 million in Covid relief funds into her congressional campaign, which she denies.
Mills, meanwhile, is under Ethics Committee investigation over allegations that include financial misconduct, campaign finance violations, and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies. Gonzales has admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide and is also under House ethics investigation.
Still, turning anger into actual expulsions is another matter. The Constitution allows each chamber of Congress to expel a member only with a two-thirds vote, a very high bar that has historically made expulsion rare. Only six House members have been expelled in U.S. history, including George Santos in 2023.
