Swalwell, Gonzales announce resignations in wake of allegations, shaking up Congress
Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said Monday they will both resign from Congress in lieu of facing expulsion following sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell vows to fight the allegations but said he must also "take responsibility and ownership" of his mistakes.
Swalwell, Gonzales resignations may be official Tuesday as House returns from Easter recess
Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Monday they will resign from Congress after sexual misconduct allegations sparked bipartisan calls for their ouster, delivering a rare double blow to a House already operating with a razor-thin majority.
Swalwell said he plans to contest the allegations but acknowledged the uproar had become a distraction to his constituents and effectively ended his run for governor.
“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he said. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties.”
Gonzales said he would formally retire Tuesday when the House returns from Easter recess, giving both parties a same-day political headache but little immediate change in the balance of power because each seat is expected to stay in party hands.
Rep.-elect Clay Fuller, R-Ga., will be sworn in Tuesday, and a Democrat is favored to win a special election in New Jersey on Thursday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Director Patel asks for Rep. Swalwell to 'sit down with the FBI' to refute 'false' allegations
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has claimed the allegations that forced him out of the California gubernatorial race and Congress are "false," and FBI Director Kash Patel wants to hear all about it.
".@EricSwalwell has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true, and now that he’s resigned, we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has," Patel wrote Monday night on X.
"We also encourage and welcome any person with relevant information to any of these matters to speak with us. Door is open to all. @FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI"
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, abruptly announced his decision to resign from Congress Monday evening amid calls for him to step aside after admitting to sexual misconduct with a staffer earlier this year.
The embattled lawmaker was facing an anticipated expulsion vote that could occur as early as this week.
"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," Gonzales wrote on social media. "It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas."
This is an excerpt from an Adam Pack report. Get the full story here.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he was planning to resign from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision.
Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday with Swalwell's resignation, which came just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign.
Swalwell said Monday that he was "deeply sorry" to his family, staff and constituents for his "mistakes," but stood headstrong in calling the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him "false."
This is an excerpt from an Alec Schemmel report. Get the full story here.
One of Rep. Eric Swalwell's, D-Calif., closest friends in Congress is putting distance between himself and the lawmaker, contending he had no idea about the bombshell accusations of sexual assault that have surfaced against the former gubernatorial candidate.
"I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell," Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a statement.
"The women who have come forward have shown courage," he continued. "They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served."
This is an excerpt from an Alex Miller report. Get the full story here.
Swalwell’s former Dem rival unloads on his ‘lightweight’ career as sexual assault allegations emerge
Andrew Yang, who ran against Eric Swalwell during the crowded 2020 Democratic primary for president, questioned why his one-time rival had ever thought he could win an election for some of the highest offices in the land, shortly before he announced on Monday that he was resigning his House seat.
Yang slammed Swalwell's political career as "lightweight," arguing he is not "an intellect or deep policy thinker," and described the California congressman as someone whose actions reflect a stronger desire to get ahead than fighting for what he believes is right.
"Eric made the first debate in 2019, which he spent challenging Joe Biden to ‘pass the torch’ and quoting Joe in his first Senate campaign saying that the incumbent was too old and out of touch and it was time to give way to the next generation. Joe came up to him during a commercial break, took Eric by both lapels, and said to him 'nice try, I’m not going anywhere.' Eric then dropped out a few days later," Yang recounted in his post.
"After 2020, Eric became a fixture on cable news programs, particularly MSNBC and CNN, mouthing Democratic talking points. He burnished his social media following. In 2024, when Joe Biden’s age became one of the central issues of the day and Dean Phillips tried to force a primary, Eric was nowhere to be found. He had gotten the message that being a good partisan soldier was a better path."
This is an excerpt from an Alec Schemmel report. Read it in full here.
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