Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell introduced on Monday that he plans to resign his seat in Congress within the wake of sexual assault allegations that sparked requires him to stop or be topic to an expulsion vote. His announcement comes simply at some point after he suspended his campaign for California governor.
In a press release on X, Swalwell posted that he’s “deeply sorry” to his household, employees and constituents however that “he’ll combat the intense, false allegation made in opposition to me.”
“I’m conscious of efforts to deliver a right away expulsion vote in opposition to me and different members. Expelling anybody in Congress with out due course of, inside days of an allegation being made, is flawed,” Swalwell mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s additionally flawed for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Due to this fact, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell seems at a city corridor assembly in Sacramento, Calif., April 7, 2026.
Wealthy Pedroncelli/AP
Swalwell’s announcement comes on the identical day that the Home Ethics Committee mentioned it was launching an investigation into the allegations in opposition to him.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida mentioned Saturday that she deliberate to pressure a vote this week to expel Swalwell if he didn’t resign. In a statement on X following Swalwell’s announcement that he’ll resign, Luna mentioned, “He made the proper choice, however there nonetheless must be a full-fledged legal investigation.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that an ex-staffer had sexual encounters with Swalwell when he was her boss, and alleged that he sexually assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent. As well as, CNN has reported on three further girls who detailed allegations of inappropriate conduct by Swalwell.
ABC Information has not independently verified the accounts as reported by The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
Swalwell didn’t say particularly when he plans to step down. As soon as Swalwell does resign, Home Democrats will likely be right down to 213 members. Republicans are anticipated to swear of their 218th member on Tuesday night — Clay Fuller, who received a particular election in Georgia final week — and unbiased Rep. Kevin Kiley nonetheless conferences with Republicans, which might give Speaker Mike Johnson 219 votes.
Will probably be as much as California Gov. Gavin Newsom if or when Swalwell’s seat will likely be stuffed earlier than the top of his time period, based on California statutes.
Vacancies within the U.S. Home of Representatives are normally stuffed by particular (off-cycle) elections, which might happen even throughout a 12 months the place those self same Home seats are up for normal election.
Nonetheless, a spokesperson for the workplace of the California Secretary of State pointed ABC Information to the state’s election code, which says that if “a emptiness happens in a congressional workplace after the shut of the nomination interval within the ultimate 12 months of the time period of workplace, the Governor might decline to difficulty an election proclamation at his discretion.”
Qualifying for the poll in California closed in early March, and Swalwell’s present time period in Congress ends after this 12 months, that means that Newsom has the selection of whether or not to name a particular election or not.
Newsom’s workplace, reached for remark by ABC Information, mentioned it’s reviewing the matter and can make an official announcement as soon as the seat is formally vacant.
