Washington — The bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who faces several allegations of sexual misconduct.
The committee said it is looking into whether Swalwell “violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”
Swalwell ended his campaign for California governor and is facing possible expulsion from the House after a former staffer accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was too intoxicated to consent on two occasions in 2019 and 2024. Her story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle last Friday. Three other women also detailed Swalwell’s alleged sexual misconduct to CNN.
Swalwell has denied the allegations of sexual assault, calling them “flat false,” and has vowed to fight them.
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife,” he said in a video on Friday, two days before he ended his gubernatorial bid.
Swalwell is also facing pressure to resign from the House. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, has threatened to force a vote as soon as this week to expel Swalwell. Several Democrats have said they would back the effort.
The Ethics Committee, which conducts its investigative work in secret, is not known to move quickly, and lawmakers could use the investigation as cover to avoid expelling Swalwell immediately.
