Rep. Eric Swalwell resigns from U.S. House after sexual misconduct allegations

Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former Democratic frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race, resigned from Congress on Monday amid sexual harassment allegations.

Swalwell announced his resignation in his statement Sent to accountHe still denies some of the allegations made against him in recent days.

In a statement, Swalwell said, “I am deeply sorry to my family, my staff, and my constituents for the misjudgments I have made in the past. I will fight the serious, unfounded allegations made against me. But I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I have made.” he said.

Swalwell, 45, came to Congress in 2013 and was a top candidate in the California governor’s race before suspending his campaign on Sunday. He briefly ran for president in 2019. San Francisco Chronicle On Friday, it was reported that Swalwell claimed that a former congressional aide had a series of sexual encounters while he was her boss. The woman claimed Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice while she was too drunk to give consent.

CNN It also reported Friday that three other women had alleged “various types of sexual harassment” by Swalwell, including unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos.

Swalwell has repeatedly denied these allegations.

His resignation came amid growing calls over the weekend for his expulsion from his congressional colleagues. Parliamentary Ethics Committee announced An investigation into his conduct was being launched on Monday.

“I am aware of efforts to seek immediate expulsion against me and other members,” Swalwell said in a statement Monday. he said. “It is wrong to expel anyone from Congress without due process within days of an allegation being made. But it is also wrong for my constituents to remove me from my duties. That is why I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had announced plans to introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell.

Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, D.N.M. was among a sizeable group of Democrats who said they would support such a resolution. Fernandez said Sunday that he would pursue a separate expelling measure to remove Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who has been dogged by allegations that he had an affair with an employee who later died by suicide.

Gonzales announced in March that he would not seek reelection, but so far has not been formally disciplined by Congress. The Parliamentary Ethics Committee is also I’m researching Gonzales.

“As I have said before, Gonzales and Swalwell are ineligible to serve in Congress because of their sexual crimes against women who work for them. They must resign or be expelled,” Fernandez said in a speech. he said. send to x.