Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations

The Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell and Republican congressman Tony Gonzales submitted their resignations to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, abruptly ending their political careers amid bipartisan furor over allegations of sexual misconduct against both.

Swalwell resigned at 2pm ET, while Gonazales’s resignation will take effect at 11.59pm on Tuesday evening, according to the House clerk.

Their departures came after lawmakers from both parties threatened to introduce resolutions expelling the men, arguing that the allegations against them made them ineligible to continue serving.

A seven-term representative first elected in 2012, Swalwell was the Democratic frontrunner to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of California, until the San Francisco Chronicle last week reported that a unnamed former staffer had accused him of sexually assaulting her on two occasions. CNN later published a similar account, as well as allegations from three other women of the congressman sending them unwanted sexual messages.

Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor, and the House ethics committee opened an investigation, even as the congressman vowed to “fight the serious false allegation made against me”. On Monday, he announced that he would resign from Congress.

Following Swalwell’s resignation, Newsom announced that a special election to fill California’s now-vacant 14th congressional district seat would take place on 18 August.

Gonzales, a Texas Republican first elected in 2020, has for weeks weathered calls to resign after admitting to an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Though he announced he would not run for re-election, pressure for him to leave immediately mounted in the wake of the revelations against Swalwell, as long-simmering concerns of inappropriate behavior by members of Congress flared anew.

“Congress should not tolerate representatives who abuse staff, betray public trust for personal gain, and generally violate their oath of office,” Nydia Velázquez, a Democratic US representative, said on X.

“Congress has a predator problem,” wrote Republican Nancy Mace, a sexual assault survivor.

Gonzales said he would resign from Congress less than an hour after Swalwell’s announcement.

At a press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, the lawyer for a woman who accused Swalwell of drugging and raping her in a West Hollywood hotel said the California lawmaker’s resignation fell short of accountability.

Lisa Bloom said she believed Swalwell resigned only to “avoid the expulsion hearing that was coming”.

“Once he steps down, the ethics committee no longer has jurisdiction to impose consequences on him,” Bloom said. “I think the American public is sick and tired of these stories and I’m sick and tired of women being victimized by men in power … Enough is enough.”

The accuser, Lonna Drewes, said she planned to file a police report through her lawyers with the Los Angeles county sheriff’s office.

Sara Azari, an attorney for Swalwell, said in a statement: “Congressman Eric Swalwell categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him. These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive – a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent 20 years in public service.”

In addition to Swalwell and Gonzales, House lawmakers have discussed voting to expel Cory Mills, a Florida Republican who has been accused of misconduct and ethical lapses. They have also proposed ousting Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, a Democratic representative who has been indicted on charges of funneling millions of dollars in federal money from her company to her campaign.

Both are under investigation by the ethics committee.

Expulsion votes are rare. Only six House members have ever been expelled, the most recent of whom was George Santos, whose lies about his qualifications for office prompted lawmakers to remove him in 2023. He later pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, before Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence last year.