Swalwell, Gonzales Quit Congress Amid Bipartisan Ethics Storm

Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced their resignations Monday, April 13, 2026, preempting potential expulsion votes fueled by bipartisan outrage over sexual misconduct claims. Swalwell, facing allegations of rape and sexual assault, submitted his resignation to the House Clerk effective 2 p.m. ET Tuesday after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., set a deadline and threatened a formal expulsion resolution.[1][2][4] Gonzales, under House Ethics Committee investigation for admitting an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, confirmed his retirement Tuesday, delivering a rare cross-aisle blow to a chamber already strained by a slim Republican majority.[1][3][4] The departures cap months of escalating pressure from over 20 House members demanding action on ethics scandals, with critics slamming the Ethics Committee as sluggish and disorganized. One anonymous House Democrat told Axios the process is 'fundamentally flawed,' prompting threats of independent expulsion efforts from both parties.[4] Swalwell acknowledged the uproar distracted his constituents and derailed his gubernatorial ambitions, vowing to contest the claims outside office.[1] Female lawmakers signaled the purge may continue, spotlighting Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., as next targets amid their own Ethics Committee probes. Reports from WION and others indicate growing calls for their removal, intensifying debates on accountability in Washington.[2][4] Luna celebrated Swalwell's exit on X, writing she had been notified of his immediate resignation just past her deadline.[1] These resignations, unfolding April 14, 2026, amplify Congress's ethics crisis, with leadership urged to reform amid accusations of rape, assault, and staff affairs. The House, operating on a knife-edge majority, faces further instability as bipartisan frustration boils over into action.[1][2][3][4]