Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell and Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales resigned from the House of Representatives on Tuesday, amid bipartisan outrage over sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell's resignation took effect at 2pm ET, while Gonzales's resignation will be effective at 11.59pm on Tuesday evening, according to the House clerk.
Swalwell, a seven-term representative from California, was the Democratic frontrunner to replace Gavin Newsom as governor until the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a former staffer had accused him of sexual assault. CNN later published similar accounts from three other women alleging unwanted sexual messages. Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign and vowed to fight the allegations, but announced his resignation on Monday. Newsom has called a special election for 18 August to fill the vacant seat.
Gonzales, a Texas Republican first elected in 2020, faced calls to resign after admitting to an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Although he had already announced he would not seek re-election, pressure mounted following Swalwell's resignation. Gonzales announced his resignation less than an hour after Swalwell's departure.
Lawmakers from both parties had threatened to introduce expulsion resolutions against the two men. Representative Nydia Velázquez stated, 'Congress should not tolerate representatives who abuse staff, betray public trust for personal gain, and generally violate their oath of office.' Republican Nancy Mace, a sexual assault survivor, added, 'Congress has a predator problem.'
Lisa Bloom, lawyer for Swalwell's accuser Lonna Drewes, said the resignation was an attempt to avoid an expulsion hearing and ethics committee consequences. Drewes plans to file a police report with the Los Angeles County sheriff's office. Swalwell's attorney, Sara Azari, denied all allegations, calling them 'false, fabricated, and deeply offensive.'
In addition to Swalwell and Gonzales, lawmakers have discussed expelling Florida Republican Cory Mills and Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick over misconduct and ethical issues. Expulsion votes are rare; only six House members have ever been expelled, the most recent being George Santos in 2023.
