Updated April 13, 2026 at 7:21 PM EDT
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is resigning from his seat in Congress as he faces growing backlash to allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
In a statement posted to social media Monday, Swalwell acknowledged growing calls among lawmakers to expel him from the House of Representatives.
“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 said.
Swalwell’s decision comes just one day after he announced he was suspending his campaign for governor of California. It marks a fall from political grace for the seven-term Democrat, who had widely been seen as a frontrunner in the gubernatorial race.
Swalwell, 45, has been embattled in controversy since last week, when rumors began to circulate online about the congressman and an alleged history of abusive behavior toward women. By Friday, the controversy gained new momentum after at least four women spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, detailing their experiences, which range from unwanted sexual advances by Swalwell to allegations of rape.
NPR has not independently verified the allegations against Swalwell, but he has adamantly denied them and vowed to fight back.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he had said in a post Sunday announcing he would suspend his bid for governor. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
Swalwell did not say when his resignation would take effect, but once it does, California Gov. Gavin Newsom would have 14 days to call a special election to fill the vacancy. The Bay Area seat is in a safely Blue district that Kamala Harris carried over President Trump in 2024 by 35 points.
Democratic leaders moved to quickly condemn Swalwell after the allegations began to surface, with top campaign supporters renouncing their support — including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
More than 50 former Swalwell staffers called for him to resign, as top Democrats in the House issued a statement calling for a “swift investigation.”
On Monday, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into whether Swalwell “may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”
His resignation effectively ends that investigation.
The scandal has fueled an ongoing debate within the halls of Congress over how to handle allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers. Even before the Swalwell allegations came to light, a handful of Republican and Democratic House members were demanding that Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, step down over allegations of a past affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.
Gonzales admitted to the affair in March and later dropped his bid for reelection — though he did not immediately resign his seat. Shortly after Swalwell announced his resignation, Gonzales posted on social media that he planned to file his retirement from Congress on Tuesday.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. has led a push to expel both members. She has also sought the ouster of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who was indicted last year on charges of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds. The Florida Democrat has denied the allegations.
“I don’t care what the party affiliation is, if they are corrupt and engaging in illegal activity in Congress I’m going to vote to expel them.” Luna wrote. “It is time Congress has a good house cleaning.”
Copyright 2026 NPR
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