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House Ethics Committee Calls on People to Come Forward With Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The statement follows Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales’ resignations.

House Ethics Committee

The House Ethics Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to investigating allegations of sexual misconduct. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

The House Ethics Committee is encouraging “anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House Member or staffer” to contact the panel, as numerous allegations against lawmakers, including Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, have come to light.

The committee released a statement on Monday reasserting its dedication to transparency and to “maintaining a congressional workplace free from sexual misconduct.”

“There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee, which is chaired by Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote in its statement. “The committee is also dedicated to providing transparency for the American public.”

Last week, Swalwell and Gonzales resigned from the House over allegations of sexual misconduct. Multiple women, including a former staffer, accused Swalwell, a Democrat from California, of sexual misconduct, including sexually assaulting and drugging women. Swalwell denies the allegations.

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Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, had been facing public calls to resign for months after a staffer he admitted to having an affair with later died by suicide. The committee had been investigating both Swalwell and Gonzales at the time of their resignations.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, the committee’s ranking Democrat whose district borders Swalwell’s former district, released his own statement Sunday, reiterating that as a member of the committee, he had been restricted from commenting on the allegations made against Swalwell due to the pending investigation.

“This moment demands more than statements,” DeSaulnier wrote. “It demands change. For too long, the system has made it too hard to come forward, too easy to avoid accountability, and too tempting to look the other way. That has to end.”

Since Swalwell’s resignation, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, has also accused Sen. Ruben Gallego of misconduct, without providing any specific details. Gallego has called Luna’s claims “right-wing conspiracy theories.”

The committee currently has several high-profile investigations underway. It’s set to make recommendations in the case of Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who’s accused of violating campaign finance laws, on Tuesday.

Republican Rep. Cory Mills is also the subject of a separate investigation by the committee, over allegations that he violated campaign finance laws and engaged in “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence.

NOTUS reported on Monday that Mills is also currently weighing an expulsion resolution against Rep. Nancy Mace, who is also under investigation by the committee over allegations that she improperly collected housing reimbursements.

In its statement, the committee made clear that it does not involve itself or play a role in sexual harassment lawsuits or settlements relating to allegations it investigates.

In the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, Congress passed legislation to require lawmakers to pay out their own sexual harassment settlements. Many lawmakers, however, don’t think the legislation goes far enough in streamlining the reporting process and are currently pushing for reforms.