A bipartisan initiative by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández prompted the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales from the House of Representatives this week amid separate misconduct allegations. The two lawmakers signaled that other members could face similar pressures to resign or be expelled.
The coordinated effort arose after multiple allegations surfaced against Swalwell, including accusations of sexual assault and sending unsolicited explicit messages, which he has denied. Meanwhile, Gonzales faced scrutiny over an extramarital affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Swalwell withdrew from the California gubernatorial race over the weekend, and Gonzales dropped his reelection bid last month.
Bipartisan coordination led to resignations
Luna and Leger Fernández introduced separate resolutions to expel Swalwell and Gonzales, respectively, building cross-party support to pressure the two to resign rather than face formal votes. Luna told CBS News that two-thirds of the House members were prepared to vote for expulsion. The lawmakers credited their efforts as pivotal, noting that House leadership had not acted swiftly.
The two began collaborating informally after Luna began publicly calling for action, agreeing to back each other’s resolutions. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was not involved in prompting the resignations but described the allegations against Swalwell as “alarming.” He reiterated the importance of due process and noted ongoing investigations by the House Ethics Committee into both members.
Potential future expulsions
Luna and Leger Fernández indicated their efforts might extend to other lawmakers under investigation. Luna expressed support for expulsion where warranted, citing Republican Rep. Cory Mills and Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick as examples. Mills is under House Ethics Committee inquiry for alleged campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct, while Cherfilus-McCormick faces federal charges related to misuse of pandemic relief funds and has been found to have substantiated ethics violations.
Both Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick have denied wrongdoing. Mills dismissed expulsion talk as unfair, emphasizing the absence of criminal charges or allegations involving staff. Cherfilus-McCormick called expulsion without formal findings a dangerous precedent and distinguished her case from those involving sexual assault allegations.
Concerns over ethics process and misconduct standards
The bipartisan duo stressed the need for Congress to address misconduct allegations more promptly, criticizing the House Ethics Committee’s pace. Luna described the committee as a place “where things go to die,” while Leger Fernández called for reforms to expedite investigations.
Republican Rep. Michael Guest, chair of the Ethics Committee, acknowledged the complexity of investigations like Cherfilus-McCormick’s but affirmed the committee’s commitment to progressing cases efficiently.
Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds vote and remains a rare action, with only six members expelled in U.S. history. Most recently, Rep. George Santos faced expulsion proceedings due to criminal charges and ethics violations. Luna suggested the recent resignations could trigger a “chain reaction” resulting in further accountability measures against members involved in misconduct.
Why it matters
The bipartisan push leading to the swift resignations of Swalwell and Gonzales marks an unusual and significant intervention in congressional discipline, demonstrating increased legislative willingness to hold members accountable for misconduct. The developments highlight growing scrutiny over lawmakers’ behavior and the potential for expanded enforcement of ethical standards, particularly involving allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of public resources. The situation underscores tensions between political parties on ethics enforcement and signals potential shifts in how Congress handles accusations against its members going forward.
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