The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell over allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims involving a staff member.
Swalwell, who represents California’s 14th Congressional District, announced later on Monday he planned to resign his seat in Congress.
Swalwell has denied the allegations, which were first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN.
One of the women claimed she was sexually assaulted in 2019, when she was working for Swalwell. She also described another incident in 2024.
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The accusations come as Swalwell had been considered one of the frontrunners in the race for California governor.
In a video posted Friday night after the reports were published, Swalwell said the accusations were false, suggesting they were part of a political smear campaign. At the time, he did not withdraw from the governor’s race.
However, in the hours and days that followed, Swalwell faced backlash from both opponents and some supporters, who called on him to drop out of the race.
On Sunday night, Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign for governor.
"To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past," he said. "I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s."
