A bipartisan effort to force the resignations of two scandal-plagued House members might lead to the ouster of other, troubled, lawmakers, according to a new report.
Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales announced they will be resigning. Swalwell has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct from former staff members, leading to the end of his run for governor of California.
Gonzales, on his end, admitted earlier this year to having an affair with a staff member who later committed suicide. Gonzales, who was in his third term in Congress, initially resisted calls to resign but said he wouldn't seek reelection.
However, that changed when a bipartisan effort in Congress to expel both of them gained momentum. Once it became clear that there might be enough votes to actually remove them from office, both resigned.
The push to oust them was led by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Democrat Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, CBS News noted.
Now, in the aftermath of the resignations, the lawmakers say they might look at other colleagues facing serious allegations. Specifically, the duo referenced Republican Rep. Cory Mills and Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Mills faces a House Ethics Committee investigation over a variety of alleged misdeeds including possibly breaking campaign finance rules and accusations that he threatened to release nude videos of an ex, Politico reported.
"There's absolutely no criminal charges being filed against me... no inappropriate behavior or actions with a staffer or intern on the Hill," Mills told CBS News.
Cherfilus-McCormick, on her end, has been indicted on charges that she and several co-defendants stole federal disaster funds, laundered the proceeds, and used the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign. The charges involve the apparent misallocation of $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief money that was supposed to be used for vaccination staffing.
Cherfilus-McCormick told CBS News that she does not plan to resign, and that it was wrong to expel members based simply on allegations. "Lumping them together, particularly with cases involving sexual assault and rape, is inaccurate and irresponsible," Cherfilus-McCormick said.
