Sexual abuse allegations are spurring calls for a broader reckoning in
Congress
[April 15, 2026]
By STEPHEN GROVES and JOEY CAPPELLETTI
WASHINGTON (AP) — Resignations came quickly this week from two
congressmen accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet for
many of the women of Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was
years in the making — and far from enough.
Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas
Republican, both announced within hours of each other Monday that they
were leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House
returned to Washington and as both faced the prospect of being expelled
from the chamber by their colleagues.
It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since
the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the
heights of the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the
pair of resignations took too long and proved what they've long been
saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation.
“Today was an important turning point,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “That it should — that abuse of power —
should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I
think this is an important resetting point for the institution.”
A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file
resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and
Gonzales. Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after
the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman
said Swalwell sexually assaulted her.
The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024;
they were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behavior made
by other women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct
but acknowledged mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted
calls for his resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a
staff member who later committed suicide.
“Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse
women, and we’re going to do more of it,” said Rep. Teresa Leger
Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
House rules forbid relationships with staff
It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual
relationship with their staff members.
Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require
annual trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members.
The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for
harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force
lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they’re required to make.
Former Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement
for reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that
problems still persist after those reforms.
“What we do in Congress is basically look the other way,” she said,
adding that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to “really tighten the rules and
create a safe environment for these women to report.”
While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they
announced their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had
played out “appropriately.”
“This is the right thing for the institution," he said.
How the push for accountability has grown
Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the
actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican
women, mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial
roles in forcing Congress to take up the issue.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, alongside Rep. Lauren Boebert and then-Rep.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump
and Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on
a bill mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein.
Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has
continued an outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual
assault. She and Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called
for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign.
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The entrance to the office of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is seen
on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/J.
Scott Applewhite)
Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is
facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and
violence against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the
allegations.
Meanwhile, Mace and Luna are also calling for the resignation of Rep.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. The House Ethics
Committee found evidence that she broke campaign finance law related to
a mistaken overpayment of $5 million from the state of Florida to her
family's health care business. She has said she did nothing wrong.
“Clean house. Expel them. Hold every last one accountable,” Mace said on
social media. “The American people are watching.”
At the same time, Mace herself is under investigation by the ethics
panel for allegations she improperly claimed housing reimbursements. She
has denied wrongdoing.
Swalwell allies are facing close scrutiny
As accusations of sexual abuse continued to land against Swalwell, some
Democrats found themselves in a moment of reflection and contrition,
especially those who kept close company with him.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell’s who chaired his
presidential campaign, called reporters to his office on Tuesday for an
emotional press conference.
“I messed up. I’m human. I trusted this man,” a teary-eyed Gallego said.
Under intense questioning from reporters, Gallego acknowledged that he
had heard rumors about Swalwell being “flirty,” but contended that he
trusted him as a close family friend.
“I definitely look at the world in a different way now,” Gallego said.
“I personally am going to make sure that I’m going to take personal
steps and office steps to make sure that we don’t even get close to a
gray line.”
Policing behavior in Congress presents challenges
Speier, who entered politics by first working as a congressional aide
and experienced harassment from a supervisor, said that part of the
problem in Congress is that members are given wide latitude to run their
offices. All 535 lawmakers are bosses of their own hand-selected staff.
“There’s really no one overseeing you," Speier said. "There’s a sense of
entitlement that kind of overtakes many of these members.”
Speier, alongside then-Rep. Bradley Byrne, led the effort to pass
legislation to make it easier to report sexual harassment and
discrimination, including banning nondisclosure agreements to protect
members of Congress.
Since the 2018 reforms began requiring the Office of Congressional
Workplace Rights to report awards and settlements related to formal
complaints, there have been eight payments made by House members'
offices, totaling just over $400,000. Those payments cover all types of
violations of workplace rights, not just sexual harassment, and the
violations could have been committed by other congressional staff in the
office.
Speier said that it was crucial to keep making it easier for survivors
to report sexual abuse.
"Unless someone comes forward, you know the conduct continues,” she
said.
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Associated Press Chief Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro
contributed to this report.
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