California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress after sexual assault allegations

Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, has announced he will resign from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women.

Swalwell, who has fiercely denied the allegations, wrote in a statement Monday that he was aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against him and other members of Congress.

“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” he said.

Swalwell apologized to his family, staff, and constituents for his past “mistakes in judgment,” but insisted the allegations of sexual misconduct, including the alleged rape of a former staffer, are “false.”

Just an hour after Swalwell’s announcement, Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who recently admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year, said he would leave Congress.

A woman who was in her 20s when she was hired to work in Swalwell’s Castro Valley office in 2019, accused the married congressman of sexually assaulting her twice when she was heavily intoxicated, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

One of the alleged incidents happened in 2024, a few years after the woman stopped working for Swalwell.

After getting drinks with Swalwell following an awards ceremony in New York, she got so intoxicated that she only remembers flashes of the rest of the night. She alleged Swalwell forced himself on her in a hotel room.

“I woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point,” the woman wrote to a friend after the alleged incident in a text message reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle.

She told the publication that she had vaginal bleeding and bruises the next morning. Swalwell has strenuously denied the reporting.

CNN reported claims later Friday from a total of four women who have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct from when they were in their 20s, including claims of sending unprompted nude photos on Snapchat.

The account of one of the women cited in CNN’s reporting resembles that of the woman who spoke to The Chronicle but The Independent was unable to verify if they are the same source.

In a video posted to X late Friday, Swalwell said, “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened and I will fight them with everything that I have.”

The allegations against Swalwell have upended his gubernatorial campaign in California, where he was a frontrunner.

Several of his fellow Democrats, including California Senator Adam Schiff and Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, dropped their support for Swalwell.

House Democratic leadership called for a swift investigation into the allegations and for Swalwell to drop his bid for governor. The congressman suspended his gubernatorial campaign Sunday night.

On Monday, the House Ethics Committee announced it had launched a probe into Swalwell “with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”

Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, called on Sunday for the immediate resignation of Swalwell and Gonzales.

The House Ethics Committee is also investigating Gonzales over the inappropriate relationship he’s accused of having with a former staffer.

“Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve. They must resign. If they do not, I will vote to expel them,” Fernández of New Mexico said.

Gonzales had dropped his bid for re-election in March, before announcing his early retirement Monday.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” the congressman wrote.

The Independent has reached out to Gonzales’ office for comment.

Swalwell’s planned departure will trigger a special election in his House district, the Associated Press reports.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom is responsible for calling a special election, which he must do “within 14 calendar days of the occurrence of the vacancy,” according to state election law.