Looks like a window finally opened in Congress – and a couple of lawmakers just got swept out with the stale air and will end up in the trash bin of political history.
Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell is heading for the exit [1] after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, including serious assault allegations. He has denied the claims – though not the political fallout – first dropping out of California’s governor’s race and then ultimately deciding to resign his congressional seat as pressure from both parties mounted rapidly.
Yes, Democrats moved against Swalwell unusually fast – which raises eyebrows. It suggests they either believe the allegations have real substance and probably expect more damaging details to surface. And since Dems tend to view everything through the lens of political survival, the swift response looks a lot like preemptive damage control – aimed at protecting both the governor’s race and their standing in Congress.
Swalwell said about his upcoming resignation: “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. 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.”
But Swalwell is not alone. Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (Texas) is also calling it quits after a scandal involving explicit messages and an inappropriate relationship with a staffer who ended up killing herself by setting herself on fire.
For a town that loves lectures about “standards,” Congress suddenly found religion when the headlines got ugly enough. Expulsion talks were brewing, ethics probes were underway – and voilà, resignations started rolling in.
Yes, the swamp does drain itself on occasion but it’s a rare thing to see. The real shock here isn’t the scandals – it’s that consequences actually showed up.