Key takeaways:
- Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned effective 2 p.m. ET Tuesday amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies.
- Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned effective 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday after admitting to an affair with a subordinate who later died by suicide.
- Their resignations end House Ethics investigations, but law enforcement probes, including one by the Manhattan district attorney into Swalwell, continue.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas resigned from Congress on Tuesday, pre-empting expected expulsion votes over separate allegations of sexual misconduct. Their departures effectively end ongoing House Ethics investigations, which only have jurisdiction over sitting members.
Swalwell submitted his resignation effective at 2 p.m. ET, expressing remorse for past mistakes but denying allegations of sexual assault. “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,” Swalwell wrote in his resignation letter. He also vowed to fight the “serious, false allegations” against him.
Swalwell’s lawyer, Sara Azari, issued a statement categorically denying all accusations of sexual misconduct and assault, calling them “false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job.” The Manhattan district attorney’s office has launched a probe into an alleged assault involving Swalwell in New York. On Tuesday, a new allegation surfaced from a woman claiming Swalwell drugged, raped, and choked her in a California hotel room in 2018; her lawyers said she planned to report the incident to law enforcement.
Swalwell’s fall from grace was swift. Once a leading contender in the California governor’s race, he ended his campaign last weekend following reports of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including a former staffer.
Gonzales, who announced his resignation effective at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday, admitted in March to an affair with a subordinate who later died by suicide. Text messages obtained by NBC News showed Gonzales sent sexually explicit messages to the staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, in May 2024. Another former staffer alleged Gonzales sent her sexually explicit texts and repeatedly requested sex and nude photos. Gonzales had initially said he would not seek reelection but resisted resigning until the renewed scrutiny following Swalwell’s allegations.
In his resignation letter, Gonzales wrote, “It has been my privilege to serve the residents of Texas’s 23rd congressional district.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said both lawmakers made the right decision by resigning, noting the “terrible allegations” and facts they admitted to. With their resignations, Republicans hold a 216-213 majority over Democrats, with a new Republican member from Georgia set to be sworn in Tuesday night.
Attention on Capitol Hill now turns to two Florida representatives facing ethics investigations: Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, accused of stealing millions in federal relief funds, and Republican Cory Mills, under investigation for financial and sexual misconduct allegations. Johnson indicated a consensus may form around expelling Cherfilus-McCormick once the Ethics Committee issues its recommendations.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Swalwell “made the right decision” in resigning but declined to comment on whether he pushed Swalwell to step down. Jeffries also said he would consider expulsion for Cherfilus-McCormick following the Ethics Committee’s findings.
Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds vote and is rare, with the most recent case being Rep. George Santos, who was expelled in late 2023 following ethics violations and criminal charges.
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