Swalwell and Gonzales resign from Congress amid looming expulsion threat

It would be possible to bequeath this as “deportation week”.

This could be “resignation week” instead.

The parliament has expelled only six members in the history of the republic. But it was possible that as recently as Monday the House would be ready to grapple with a mind-boggling four expulsions.

Expulsion of a Member requires a two-thirds vote. The last time the House expelled one of their own was in late 2023: former Rep. George Santos (R-Y). Before that, you have to go back to 2002, when the House impeached the late Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio).

5TH CLAIMANT FEATURES AGAINST REP ERIC SWALWELL AHEAD OF EXPECTED RESIGNATION

Here is the chopping block:

Calls for former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) to be deported have piled up following revelations that he sexually assaulted a former aide and several other women. Swalwell initially said he would fight the allegations. He later abandoned his bid to become governor of California after many once close allies abandoned their support. Swalwell resigned, avoiding the embarrassing deportation scene.

Then there was former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Gonzales at first denied having an affair with an associate who committed suicide by setting himself on fire. Gonzales is stuck in a tough primary runoff against Republican Congressional candidate Brandon Herrera. But after pressure, Gonzales ultimately withdrew from the runoff and is not running for re-election. But Gonzales planned to stay in office until his term ends Jan. 3 next year. But now Gonzales is out the door, too.

TWO DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVES CALL FOR SWALWELL TO LEAVE CONGRESS AS CONCUSSION SURGES HIS BID FOR CA GOVERNOR

So two to go, two to go.

This is where things get complicated.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) may soon face expulsion. In late March, the House Ethics Committee held a rare “hearing” and declared that he had improperly obtained a staggering $5 million in COVID relief funds. The ethics panel will likely recommend a sentence for Cherfilus-McCormick next week. It is not necessary for the entire assembly to consider or comply with the prescribed discipline. The congressman declares his innocence. He faces a criminal trial in Florida in February 2027.

WHY DID ERIC SWALWELL HAVE TO LEAVE THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS?

“The facts are indisputable at this point, and that’s why I believe this body will reach a consensus to expel him,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said lawmakers should expel Rep. Sheila Cherfilius-McCormick (D-Fla.) after the House ethics committee found her guilty of more than 25 ethics violations. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images; Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Rep. Greg Stuebe (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution several months ago to expunge Cherfilus-McCormick.

And for Republicans, there’s Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.). Mills is accused of “stealing his courage” and exaggerating his military background. But what triggered the current expulsion attempt was the congressman’s allegation that he hit his girlfriend in early 2025. A judge issued a restraining order against Mills. But police never charged the congressman. The Ethics Committee is also investigating whether he violated federal campaign rules. But the Florida Republican’s official ethics investigation does not go as far as the Cherfilus-McCormick investigation.

SWALWELL’S RESIGNATION COLLIDES WITH CHINA-LINKED SCANDAL AS Critics Call for Dossier to Be Released

Johnson is aware of this fact.

“I’m unsure of the status of the Ethics Committee investigation regarding Mills, and that’s one of the things I’ll be looking into today,” Johnson said.

Four problematic members. Two Democrats and two Republicans. It may have been this equality that prepared the House to take the unprecedented step of expelling these four members before Swalwell and Gonzales announced their resignations. However, the pressure to expel Cherfiulus-McCormick rather than Mills is causing many problems in the Parliament.

GONZALES WAS STRIKEED WITH EXCLUSION VOTE THREAT AHEAD OF EXPECTED RESIGNATION

It’s about math.

The House swore in Rep. Clay Fuller (R-Ga.) Monday night. Fuller won a special election last week to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who resigned. This GOP gain will likely be offset by Democratic Congressional candidate Analilia Mejia’s expected victory in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey. This is the Democratic seat that has been vacant since New Jersey Governor and former Congressman Mikie Sherill (D) resigned from the House of Representatives last fall.

Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller (L) speaks next to President Donald Trump during his visit to Coosa Steel Corporation in Rome, Georgia, on February 19, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

With Swalwell and Gonzales out, Fuller’s current breakdown consists of 431 members: 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) abandoned his affiliation with the GOP. The addition of Fuller and Meija’s projected win would translate into one independent count from 217 to 214 with a vacancy spanning 432 Members. The open seat left after the resignations of Swalwell and Gonzales is an all-Republican district in Northern California long held by the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.). He died in January.

ERIC SWALWELL WAS A CABLE NEWS STAR FOR YEARS BEFORE FALLING FAST FROM GRACE

So what happens if the House takes action against Cherfilus-McCormick rather than Mills? This creates an imbalance between the parties; With the potential expulsion of four members on the table, this is something that is lost.

Yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) “What about this equity issue?” he asked.

“Equality wasn’t something we talked about. We’re working on what’s in front of us today and we’ll continue to do that,” Jeffries replied.

WHILE THE RETURN CONSIDERED A HIGH-PROFIT WEEK, MPS PUT EXPORT THREATS ON THE AGENDA OF THE ASSEMBLY

I followed.

“But if they take action against Cherfilus-McCormick, isn’t that a concern? His ethics process is further ahead than Mr. Mills’s,” I asked.

“The ethics process is still not complete and we will see what the Ethics Committee recommends next week,” Jeffries replied.

‘SMART DECISION’: SWALWELL’S RESIGNATION EARNED PRAISE FROM BOTH SIDES AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS EMERGED

This is in reference to an upcoming ethics panel meeting that recommended punishment for the Florida Democrat.

It was one thing for the House to reject four members, two Republicans and two Democrats at once. But with Gonzales and Swalwell sidelined, the situation became even more difficult. The situation is further complicated given the unstable state of the ethics investigations into Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., speaks after being sworn in during a ceremony at the Broward County Commission chambers on January 27, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

It seems Congress is now in a period of regularly setting new precedents. A record-breaking government shutdown – only to be replaced by another record-breaking government shutdown. In addition, the House is experiencing a dramatic increase in the raw number of “censorships” it distributes to Members. Reprimand is the second highest form of punishment in Parliament, right after expulsion.

JONATHAN TURLEY: ERIC SWALWELL’S CREATORS KNEW THE TRUTH AND ALWAYS PROTECTED HIM

The House censured the late Rep. Charlie Rangel (DY) in late 2010. Before that, the House last censured the late Reps. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) and Daniel Crane (R-Ill.) in 1983. But since 2021, the House has censured five Members — Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) who served in the House — Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-D.), and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas).

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recently called the censorship outburst a “political” weaponization of the ethics process.

It is possible that the House will not take immediate action regarding Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills. Lawmakers from both sides might be more willing to expel one of their own, and perhaps get one for the team on their side, if a similar outcome across the aisle is guaranteed.

SWALWELL’S FALL FROM GRACE LEADS TO DEMOCRATS’ SCHEMES TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AMONG SCREENINGS

With such a tight majority, Republicans may not want to cede power to Democrats if the House expels a GOP member trying to hang on to the majority. Likewise, it is doubtful that Democrats would be willing to absorb a coup when they are within sneezing distance of the majority — unless they see a political balance and document the consequences for the Republican majority.

Moreover, it is almost impossible to keep track of where the votes are for disciplinary action. What makes this even more complicated is whether any request for expulsion will actually result in up/down votes. There are frequently motions to “table” or quash decisions to impose discipline against a Member. The same goes for requests to “refer” or refer allegations against a Member to the Ethics Committee for additional review. For example, the Ethics panel has nearly completed investigating Cherfilus-McCormick and is investigating Mills. So it’s unclear what would happen in any possible “reference” move.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

And let’s be clear: Some legislators either want the vote to discipline one of their colleagues on record or want no part of it. Decisions to prosecute a colleague are among the most difficult votes MPs take. We are right before you with the vote to go to war. That’s why some prefer the political fig leaf of a “motion motion” or “table motion” to punish one of their own over an actual up/down vote.

So this could be “deportation week” on Capitol Hill. Definitely “resignation week”. And if there is no other disciplinary action, some MPs will submit to this outcome.