Swalwell to resign from Congress amid allegations of sexual assault, misconduct

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Monday that he is resigning from Congress as he faces allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, a stunning fall for a prominent Democrat with gubernatorial ambitions — and a demonstration of a rare resurgence of the MeToo movement that’s faded under the return of President Trump. 

Swalwell, in his seventh term in the House, was leading the Democratic primary field in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) — a position that put him at good odds of winning the general contest to lead the most populous, and most wealthy, state in the country.

But his campaign imploded on Friday, when The San Francisco Chronicle published accusations from a former aide that Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions. Shortly afterwards, CNN went live with its own report featuring three other women making separate allegations of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell had denied the allegations. But the damning reports prompted a number of Democrats to drop their support for Swalwell’s run at the California governor’s mansion — and forced him to quit the race on Sunday night. 

The explosive developments were also threatening to carry over to Capitol Hill, where a growing chorus of lawmakers in both parties were calling on Swalwell to resign from Congress. If not, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) was prepared to file a motion this week to expel him.

Supporters of Luna’s gambit were reaching for a high bar: Expulsion resolutions require two-thirds of the House to pass. But in a forecast that life in the Capitol was about to get very tough for Swalwell, even a number of Democrats were going public in recent days to support the idea of ejecting their colleague.  

The list included fellow Californians, like Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), as well as close friends, like Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who was well known as a bar-hopping partner of Swalwell’s around Washington. Gallego on Monday took the extraordinary step to say Swalwell “is no longer fit to be a Member of Congress.” 

“I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew,” Gallego posted on X. “The women who have come forward have shown courage. They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served.”

With pressure building by the hour — and an expulsion vote looming later in the week — Swalwell issued a statement on Monday evening to announce his resignation. He suggested some of the allegations about extramarital adventures had some basis in truth, but he also amplified previous denials that he had sexually assaulted a staffer. Still, he said he intends to fight the accusations as a private citizen to spare his family and constituents the distraction of the scandal. 

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he wrote. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

Shortly after Swalwell announced his decision, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who had also been facing bipartisan calls to resign over sexual misconduct allegations, announced he would exit Congress, too.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales wrote on X Monday. 

A successful expulsion would have been unprecedented in the modern era, when Congress typically awaits the outcome of Ethics Committee investigations, or outside criminal probes, before ejecting lawmakers who were sent to Washington by voters. The last such case, former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), was expelled in 2023 only after the Ethics panel had issued a damning report about campaign finance violations and other ethical infractions. 

Those trends were not overlooked by Swalwell, who denounced the idea that he should be pushed out so quickly even as he was announcing his departure.

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he said. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties.”

Luna wrote on X that Swalwell did the “right thing” by resigning, but added: “Don’t you dare say there weren’t grounds for your expulsion because there absolutely were.”

“He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation. Based on what I’m hearing, he may go to jail,” she said.

The stunning turn of events is creating headaches for Democratic leaders, who are hoping to highlight the many controversies surrounding President Trump and make Republican corruption a central theme on the campaign trail this year. Increasingly, they’re seeing that message diluted by scandals dogging members of their own party. 

In the Capitol, Swalwell was closely allied with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who tapped him to lead the Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee — a powerful panel that guides committee assignments — over the course of several Congresses. She also elevated him to be one of the Democratic managers, making the case for Trump’s second impeachment after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

But the expulsion wars sparked by allegations against Swalwell are far from over. 

There are also growing calls for Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) to step down. A House Ethics subcommittee last month announced that the panel had proven 25 of 27 counts of ethics violations against Cherfilus-McCormick, centering on allegations that she used millions in improperly paid federal disaster funds to finance her campaign. The committee said it is holding a hearing on April 21 to determine what kind of sanctions would be appropriate to take against her.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has already filed a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick, which Luna said she would “fully be backing and supporting.” Steube previously told The Hill he is waiting until the Ethics panel completes its full process before calling up his resolution.

Mills, meanwhile, is under investigation by a House Ethics subcommittee over a wide swath of allegations, including whether he violated campaign finance laws, received special favors in his position, engaged in sexual misconduct and misused congressional resources.

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