House Republicans are set to force a vote next week on expelling Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) following sexual assault and misconduct allegations that have unraveled his political standing in just 48 hours. Swalwell flatly denies the claims in a defiant video posted Saturday, saying the allegations are "absolutely false."
Democrats have signaled they'll respond in kind by pushing for expulsion of Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who is under House Ethics investigation for sexual misconduct. The move sets up a potential tit-for-tat battle over congressional discipline that could drag multiple members into expulsion proceedings.
The allegations against Swalwell came to light Friday when the San Francisco Chronicle published an account from a former staffer claiming he sexually assaulted her multiple times starting in 2019. CNN followed with a report featuring four women accusing him of various misconduct. In his Saturday video, Swalwell apologized to his wife for unspecified mistakes but denied the substance of the allegations.
The political damage has been swift. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on him to abandon his California gubernatorial campaign. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, serving as one of his campaign chairs, withdrew his endorsement. His fundraising page on ActBlue was taken down Friday.
Gonzales, who announced he would not seek reelection, has already acknowledged an affair with a staffer who subsequently died by suicide, characterizing it as a "lapse in judgment."
Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds majority vote, a threshold rarely met. Lawmakers have historically resisted expulsion votes absent a criminal conviction or completion of an ethics investigation. Democratic and Republican sources told Axios the current standoff could cascade into additional expulsion attempts targeting Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.), though the likelihood of any votes succeeding remains low.
Swalwell has drawn little support even from his own party for resisting calls to quit the governor's race, with leaders publicly pressing him to step aside. No major Democratic figure has defended his continued presence in Congress or fought back against the expulsion threat.
Comments