Democrat Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas announced they would both vacate their seats in the US House of Representatives on Monday, each facing mounting sexual misconduct allegations and the looming threat of formal removal proceedings. Mutual announcements, separated by several hours.
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The departures cap two careers that until recently appeared resilient: Swalwell, a fixture on national television and a veteran of both Trump impeachment trials; Gonzales, a Texas Republican whose congressional seat covers a large stretch of the southern border. Both men are leaving under circumstances they could not have foreseen a fortnight ago.
Eric Swalwell resigns following allegations of sexual assault and multiple allegations of misconduct
Swalwell, who has represented California’s 14th congressional district since 2013, announced his resignation in a statement sent to X Monday night, hours after the House Ethics Committee formally opened an investigation into his conduct.
The decision followed reports by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle that a former employee had accused Eric Swalwell of sexual assault, claiming that a night of drinking ended with him having sex with her when she could not consent. Three other women separately alleged other forms of sexual abuse, including claims that the congressman sent unsolicited nude photos and graphic messages.
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Swalwell denied the assault allegations but acknowledged wider failings in his statement.
“The expulsion of anyone in Congress without due process, within days of being charged, is wrong,” he wrote. “But it’s also wrong when my constituents distract me from my duties. That’s why I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
He added: “I deeply apologize to my family, staff and constituents for the errors in judgment I have made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made against me. However, I must take responsibility and accountability for the mistakes I have made.”
The collapse of Swalwell’s political standing was swift and total. He remained a declared candidate in the California gubernatorial race just a week before his resignation, actively campaigning and dismissing the emerging allegations as a coordinated smear campaign. Its communications director called the claims a “false, inflammatory rumour” spread by “beating naysayers who have unfortunately allied themselves with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race”.
The news that followed completely unraveled that defense. The supports evaporated. The Allies withdrew. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, a longtime friend who chaired Swalwell’s 2020 presidential campaign, delivered perhaps the sharpest rebuke.
“I support the Ethics Commission’s investigation and believe that Eric Swalwell is no longer fit to be a member of Congress. He should be removed from Congress,” Gallego said in a statement. “I trusted someone I believed was a friend, but now it’s clear he’s not the person I thought I knew.”
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Eric Swalwell’s resignation is not his first run-in with congressional scrutiny.
In 2023, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed him from the House Intelligence Committee, a panel on which he had served prominently, citing questions about his alleged targeting by a suspected Chinese intelligence agent. In a letter to Minority Leader Hakee Jeffries, McCarthy wrote, “I cannot put party loyalty before national security, and I cannot simply recognize years of service as the only criteria for membership on this core committee. Integrity matters more.” A separate Ethics Commission investigation related to the matter was closed without action.
The exact timing of Swalwell’s departure remains to be confirmed; a special election to fill his seat should be held as early as this summer.
Tony Gonzales left Congress after the affair with Staffer, who died by suicide
Republican US Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX),(REUTERS)
Within moments of Swalwell’s announcement, Gonzales, a Texas Republican who had already withdrawn from his re-election bid, confirmed he would formally retire from Congress when the chamber reconvenes on Tuesday.
“Everything is in season and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales wrote on X. “When Congress returns tomorrow, I will be resigning from office. It has been an honor to serve the great people of Texas.”
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The announcement comes after weeks of heightened scrutiny following a San Antonio Express-News report that Tony Gonzales had an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, a former regional director on his staff. Santos-Aviles died last year after setting herself on fire outside her Uvalda home.
Gonzales initially denied the allegations before pleading guilty to the affair in March, describing it as an “error in judgment.” He subsequently withdrew his re-election bid after Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republican leadership called on him to step down, though they stopped short of calling for his immediate resignation from office.
The House Ethics Committee opened a formal investigation into Gonzales last month. Relationships between members of Congress and their staff are expressly prohibited under the House Code of Official Conduct.
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Text messages obtained by Axios and shared by Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, illustrated the nature of the communication between the two. In one May 2024 exchange, Gonzales asked Santos-Aviles for a “sexy photo.” Santos-Aviles replied, “That’s too far, Tony.” Gonzales was also accused of sending lewd messages to at least one other former employee.
A bipartisan expulsion fence that never had to be used
Behind the scenes, a cross-party maneuver was taking shape in the days leading up to the resignations. Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida both worked on impeachment resolutions — one targeting Swalwell and the other Gonzales — in a carefully coordinated effort to force a vote to remove both men simultaneously. The plan ensured that neither party could claim the moral high ground by excluding only a member of the other.
This political architecture eventually proved unnecessary. Both men chose to leave before facing the prospect of being formally expelled — the most severe sanction available to the House of Representatives.
