Swalwell, Gonzales Resign From Congress; Exit Respective Races
By: Sam Massey
Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned from Congress on Tuesday, pre-empting a push by their House colleagues to expel them from office. Both lawmakers had been facing separate House Ethics investigations into alleged sexual misconduct with women who had worked for them. Swalwell’s resignation was effective at 2 p.m. ET, while Gonzales’ took effect at 11:59 p.m. ET. With their departures, Republicans hold a 216-213 majority, though that margin shifted Tuesday night when Clay Fuller of Georgia was sworn in to succeed former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Swalwell’s fall came rather quickly, under mounting pressure from party leaders and after most major endorsements were already rescinded. Last week he had been a leading contender in California’s crowded governor’s race before the San Francisco Chronicle published allegations from a former staffer who said he sexually assaulted her twice, an account corroborated by CNN’s separate investigation featuring three additional women. Swalwell dropped out of the governor’s race Sunday, announced his resignation Monday, and on Tuesday a fifth woman alleged that he had drugged, raped, and choked her in a California hotel room in 2018, with her lawyers stating she would report the incident to law enforcement that day. Swalwell’s attorney called the cumulative allegations “false, fabricated, and deeply offensive,” and said the firm would pursue legal action against those responsible. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has confirmed it launched a probe into Swalwell focused on the alleged New York assault.
Gonzales had himself been dogged by allegations since September, when a staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide. Text messages obtained by NBC News confirmed he had sent her sexually explicit messages while she was his subordinate, and a second former staffer subsequently alleged similar conduct. Gonzales had announced in March he would not seek re-election, but accelerated his departure following the Swalwell scandal to head off an expulsion vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson said both members made the right decision in resigning. Attention on Capitol Hill now shifts to Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the Florida Democrat found guilty of 25 ethics violations, whose sanctions hearing is scheduled for April 21, and Rep. Cory Mills, a Florida Republican under a separate Ethics Committee investigation into financial and sexual misconduct allegations.
The dual resignations bring into sharper focus a broader pattern of sexual misconduct allegations that has rattled both parties on Capitol Hill this Congress. In March, the House voted 357-65 to kill a resolution by Rep. Nancy Mace that would have directed the Ethics Committee to release all reports on congressional sexual misconduct and harassment allegations. The Ethics Committee, in a joint statement from its Republican and Democratic leaders, argued the measure could re-traumatize victims and chill witness cooperation in ongoing investigations. Critics noted the lopsided vote effectively protected members of both parties from public accountability. The current House composition now stands at 217-213 in favor of Republicans, with one independent, Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who caucuses with the GOP. While Gambit Forecaster does not currently publish a House forecast, the environment heading into November looks increasingly favorable for Democrats.
Check out Gambit Forecaster’s most recent election forecast, California’s State Watch page, and Texas’s State Watch page.