Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., on Monday announced his plans to resign from Congress following calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for him to step down amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
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“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X.
He didn’t specify when exactly he intends to step down, saying instead that he would work with his staff to ensure they can “serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district.”
In his statement, Swalwell apologized to his family, staff and constituents for “mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.” However, Swalwell maintained that at least some of the allegations were false.
“I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility for the mistakes I did make,” Swalwell wrote.
The news comes a day after Swalwell suspended his bid for California governor. It also comes the same day that the House Ethics Committee said it was launching a probe into the allegations against Swalwell.
Some members of Congress are leading a push to expel Swalwell and three other lawmakers, including Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who faces misconduct allegations of his own. Gonzales admitted last month to having an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide, ending his re-election bid soon after.
A second former staffer told NBC News earlier this month that Gonzales had sent her sexually explicit text messages when she worked for him. A Gonzales spokeswoman did not comment when asked at the time.
The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Gonzales. It is against House rules for lawmakers to engage in relationships with their staff.
Swalwell has served in the House since 2013.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had said over the weekend that she planned to bring a motion to the House to expel Swalwell. Support for that grew among members, including from top Swalwell allies.
Moments before Swalwell announced his plans to step down, his close friend Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who chaired the California Democrat’s 2020 presidential campaign, said in a post on X that he believed Swalwell was “no longer fit” to be a member of Congress.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office also said Saturday it was opening an investigation into one of the sexual assault allegations against Swalwell, which took place in New York.
Swalwell was a leading candidate in the California gubernatorial race until just days ago. But his campaign began to implode on Friday after several women, including a former staffer, made allegations against Swalwell in the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
On Monday, lawyers for another woman who said she has “serious sexual misconduct allegations” against Swalwell that have not yet been made public announced she would hold a news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday “to describe the next legal steps.”