Axios
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) plans to force a vote to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) next week over sexual assault and misconduct allegations , Axios has learned. Swalwell denies the allegations. Why it matters: Democrats are set to respond by moving in turn to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who's being investigated by House Ethics over sexual misconduct allegations, two Democratic leadership aides told Axios. Swalwell has faced calls from Democratic Party leaders and House colleagues to drop his bid for California governor, though few have called for his outright resignation or expulsion from Congress. Swalwell said in a video posted to social media on Saturday: "These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen, they never happened." Gonzales, who has dropped his bid for reelection, admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, calling it a "lapse in judgment." Driving the news: The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions, including a first instance in 2019. Shortly after the Chronicle story published, CNN ran a detailed report with four women accusing Swalwell of various acts of sexual misconduct. In his denial video, Swalwell apologized to his wife for unspecified mistakes. State of play: Swalwell is shedding endorsements fast, with even Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), one of his campaign chairs, rescinding his support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have called for Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign. Swalwell's page on the Democratic fundraising site ActBlue was also pulled down on Friday. The bottom line: If those expulsion votes succeed, it could trigger a chain reaction, one of the Democrats leadership aides and a senior House Democrat told Axios. That could involve members forcing expulsion votes against Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.), they said. But these votes require a two-thirds majority to pass, and lawmakers have tended to stop short of expelling members in the absence of a criminal conviction or a completed House Ethics Committee process.
Go to News Site