Following his Monday announcement to resign, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) officially stepped down Tuesday, alongside Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), after Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) issued ultimatums threatening expulsion votes over sexual misconduct allegations against both.
Reps. Luna and Leger Fernández, in a rare bipartisan move, demanded resignations from colleagues accused of sexual misconduct with staff, violating House rules. Luna gave Swalwell a 24-hour ultimatum via social media on Sunday; he confirmed his resignation Monday amid his prior campaign suspension (see prior coverage) and stepped down Tuesday. Gonzales met the Tuesday 2 p.m. deadline set by the duo, who vowed expulsion votes otherwise. Leger Fernández stated to CBS News, “If it wouldn’t have been for those resolutions that we were each filing, they wouldn’t have resigned.”
Swalwell, facing ongoing investigations by the DOJ, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and LA County Sheriff (as previously reported), apologized for past judgment errors while denying serious claims like rape. Gonzales admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by self-immolation post-breakup.
This action signals a shift in the divided House, with Luna also targeting others like Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Cory Mills on separate issues. A tip line was set up by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for Swalwell leads in D.C.
