Swalwell says he plans to resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations

CNN

By Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Monday he planned to resign from Congress following explosive allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

The announcement from the California Democrat comes as he faced a just-announced House ethics investigation and mounting pressure on both sides of the aisle to step down. Swalwell, who has denied the allegations, had already suspended his California gubernatorial bid – though that did not tamp down the calls that he leave his job. The congressman was also confronting the prospect of a vote on the House floor to expel him.

“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” Swalwell said in a statement posted to X. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.” He did not indicate precisely when he would leave office. A special election to fill the congressman’s seat could take place this summer.

CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that a former staffer accused Swalwell sexual assault, describing a night of drinking that ended with him having sex with her when she could not consent. In addition to the allegation of sexual assault, three other women who spoke with CNN alleged other sexual misconduct, including that Swalwell sent unsolicited nude photos and graphic messages.

Swalwell has strongly and repeatedly denied allegations of sexual assault.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgement I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in his statement announcing his plans to resign. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

Swalwell’s planned resignation marks a remarkable and swift downfall for the California representative who at this time last week was vying to win his state’s June 2 primary in the governor’s race. At that time, the allegations largely existed in uncorroborated form on social media, and Swalwell had issued a pre-emptive rebuttal.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Swalwell campaign communications director Micah Beasley said in a statement at the time.

But then came CNN’s and the Chronicle’s reporting, which led to a raft of his supporters pulling their endorsements and urging him to drop out of the race. Some went even further, saying he should leave office. On Monday, not long before Swalwell announced he would do just that, Sen. Ruben Gallego, a longtime ally who chaired his 2020 presidential campaign, said in a statement it was time for the embattled California representative to go.

“I support the ethics committee’s investigation and believe Eric Swalwell is no longer fit to be a Member of Congress. He should be expelled from Congress,” Gallego said in a statement, adding, “I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew.”

While it was not yet clear clear whether an effort to expel Swalwell would succeed, some members of his own party had begun plotting how to remove him from the House after reading details of the alleged sexual misconduct with disgust.

And he was not the only member these Democrats had been seeking to punish with expulsion — the most severe consequence possible for a member of Congress. Some Democrats had been privately signaling they would be willing to vote to oust Swalwell only if Republicans did the same for one of their own embattled colleagues, multiple sources told CNN.

Behind the scenes, a plan had emerged for a woman from each party, Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, to each draft an expulsion measure to force separate removal votes targeting members who had publicly faced allegations of wrongdoing. The GOP representative’s measure would target Swalwell, while the Democrat’s would target GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who last month acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

Swalwell’s announcement won’t stop the plans entirely. “We are not backing down,” an aide to Leger Fernandez told CNN.

“You’re seeing members of all sides saying this behavior by both individuals is unacceptable,” Luna told CNN on Monday ahead of Swalwell’s announcement. “Holding other members accountable is a thing that we all reserve the right to do.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Ethan Cohen and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

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