Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales Both Exit the House amid separate sexual misconduct scandals

Democrat Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress, and Republican Tony Gonzales said he would retire from the House, turning a fast-moving scandal into a stunning double exit that has rattled Capitol Hill and intensified scrutiny of lawmakers facing sexual misconduct allegations.

Both embattled representatives revealed their decisions amid the growing criticism and demands from other congressmen, party authorities, and even former staffers.

Swalwell, a California Democrat, said he was stepping down after days of bipartisan pressure and threats of an expulsion vote following allegations from four women. One former staffer told CNN she was sexually assaulted, while other women described conduct ranging from unsolicited images to nonconsensual sexual contact. Swalwell has denied the allegations, saying he will fight what he called "serious, false allegations," but he also acknowledged "mistakes in judgment" and said it would be wrong for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties.

"Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress," Swalwell said, in a move that came after he had already suspended his campaign for governor of California. It was not immediately clear how soon the resignation would take effect, though his departure would slightly widen the House Republican majority in the short term.

The pressure on Swalwell had been building rapidly. The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision. The probe followed allegations that a female employee accused him of assault in 2019 and again in 2024 while saying she was too intoxicated to consent. The committee noted that opening an investigation does not itself mean wrongdoing has been established.

Gonzales, a Texas Republican, is leaving under a different but also deeply damaging cloud. He ended his reelection campaign last month after a House ethics panel began investigating allegations that he had an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide. More recently, additional allegations surfaced, including claims from another former aide who said Gonzales sent sexually explicit messages.

On Monday evening, Gonzales announced he would retire from Congress and file the paperwork on April 14. Those reports said the decision followed mounting calls from lawmakers in both parties to remove members accused of sexual misconduct. Reuters has separately reported that Gonzales was among the House members facing growing bipartisan pressure and possible expulsion efforts.

The twin departures mark a remarkable moment for a House already consumed by ethics fights. Members in both parties had been weighing expulsion pushes not only for Swalwell and Gonzales but also for other lawmakers facing separate investigations. Expulsion from the House is rare and requires a two-thirds vote, a high bar that has historically made resignation the more likely route when scandal becomes politically unbearable.

For House leaders, the back-to-back exits also create fresh political headaches. Swalwell's district is considered safely Democratic, meaning his resignation would trigger a special election in California. Gonzales had already decided not to seek another term, but an earlier departure would leave Texas Republicans dealing with yet another vacancy fight at a moment when control of the chamber remains tight.