Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced Monday that he will resign from Congress after sexual assault and misconduct allegations, a decision that came as lawmakers pressed for him to step down quickly.
Swalwell made his resignation plan public after days of bipartisan calls following reporting of the allegations, which he has continued to deny. In a post on social media, Swalwell said he was “deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” and also said he would “fight the serious false allegation made against me.”
The House Ethics Committee said Monday that it has begun an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision. Several lawmakers have urged a rapid move to expel him from Congress, while Swalwell argued that an immediate expulsion effort would be improper without due process.
In his statement, Swalwell said he was aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote and said it was “wrong” without due process. He said it was also “wrong” for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties and wrote, “Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” while adding that he did not provide a timeframe and would work with his staff in the coming days to keep their work going.
The allegations that prompted the calls were first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN. The reporting described claims that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman twice, including during the time she worked for him, and CNN also reported that three other women alleged sexual misconduct by Swalwell, including claims involving unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
Swalwell’s announcement capped what the AP described as a swift political fall. Swalwell had been seen as a leading contender in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out Sunday after the allegations surfaced, as he denied the claims. California Sen. Adam Schiff, who withdrew his endorsement for Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, said Monday that “the whole thing is just shocking and deeply upsetting,” and said, “I think he made the right decision to resign.”
Other Democrats also called for Swalwell to resign, including Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego. The decision follows the Ethics Committee’s move, and it also comes as lawmakers weigh what happens next in the ethics process, especially after a member resigns.
Republicans signaled their own next steps, with Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas saying Monday he will file his “retirement from office” when Congress returns Tuesday. Gonzales, who had already said he would not seek reelection, did not provide further details about his plans, and his announcement came as renewed calls for an expulsion vote also followed the allegations described in the Swalwell reporting. MSI previously reported that Gonzales’s resignation decision unfolded alongside the broader shakeup around Swalwell’s case, including intensifying demands in Congress. MSI coverage of that chain
Swalwell, an Iowa native, was elected to the House in 2012 and represents a district east of San Francisco. His planned departure would trigger a special election in his district, which California’s governor is responsible for calling within 14 calendar days of the vacancy, according to state election law. The future of the ethics probe is uncertain because the committee often ends investigations when lawmakers resign, though the Ethics Committee said the fact that it is investigating the allegations and publicly disclosing its review does not indicate that a violation has occurred.
The announcement also adds to a longer public record involving Swalwell and a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang. The AP report says Swalwell was removed from the House intelligence committee in 2023 by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy based on contact with Fang, and that federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns and briefed Congress about Fang in 2015. The report also said that Swalwell was not accused of wrongdoing at the time, and that a House Ethics Committee investigation opened in 2021 closed two years later without action.