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House lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle call on Swalwell, Gonzales to resign amid misconduct allegations

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by Sophia Vento - 04/12/26 11:19 AM ET

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by Sophia Vento - 04/12/26 11:19 AM ET

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A growing number of House lawmakers, including both Democrats and Republicans, are calling on Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) to step aside amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations.

“[If] that vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures. These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress,” Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet The Press” on Sunday when the anchor asked whether he would vote to expel the two lawmakers.

“These things are just completely unacceptable,” the Florida gubernatorial candidate added. “And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) reiterated this view, stating “this is not a partisan issue,” when asked by Welker if she would back an expulsion vote.

“This is clearly a pattern. I’ve already called for Congressman Swalwell to drop out of the gubernatorial race,” she said. “And I think we have to hold everybody accountable.”

Donalds and Jayapal’s remarks come just days after two reports revealed sexual misconduct allegations by former female staffers against Swalwell. The California Democrat has denied the claims.

Gonzales, on the other hand, has faced scrutiny for making sexual advances toward two staffers. Last month, the Texas Republican admitted to an affair with a staffer, who died by suicide, and dropped his 2026 reelection bid amid the furor.

And, just last week, it was revealed by local media that he had sent inappropriate messages to another staffer in 2020.

The two lawmakers join a chorus of House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who have urged Swalwell and Gonzales to resign.

California Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna and Jared Huffman echoed their Republican colleague.

“I believe that he should resign, and I believe that there are other members and Republican members who should resign as well,” Khanna said of Swalwell on “Fox News Sunday.” “And whatever in terms of the House has to happen should happen to not just Swalwell, but also some of the Republicans like Tony Gonzalez and others.”

On Saturday, Huffman said that Swalwell should not just resign from Congress, but should also drop his gubernatorial bid.

“I’ve seen enough. With his nuanced statement aimed at defending likely criminal charges, Swalwell all but admits a per se abuse of power under House ethics rules: sex with a subordinate,” Huffman wrote on the social platform X. “He must now drop out of the Governor’s race and resign from Congress.”

Last month, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced two resolutions that would censure Gonzales and strip the Texas Republican of his committee assignments. After reports surfaced about Swalwell on Friday, she indicated she would vote to expel the California Democrat over the weekend.

“I don’t care what the party affiliation is, if they are corrupt and engaging in illegal activity in Congress I’m going to vote to expel them,” she wrote on social media Saturday. “It is time Congress has a good house cleaning.”

A number of Democratic leaders have called on Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial bid, but stopped short of urging the congressman to leave Capitol Hill.

“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” she continued. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that this is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

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