Congress Ousts Lawmakers Accused of Misconduct, Raising Calls for Reform

Resignations of Swalwell and Gonzales prompt demands for stronger ethics rules and enforcement

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:51pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty congressional hearing room, with warm light streaming in through the windows and deep shadows cast across the room, conveying a sense of political tension and the need for reform.The resignations of two lawmakers over misconduct allegations have reignited calls for urgent reforms to how Congress polices its own members' behavior.Gonzales Today

The resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales over allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment have sparked renewed calls for Congress to reform its ethics processes and better protect staffers. While some lawmakers praised the swift action, others questioned why it took so long and why other members facing similar allegations remain in office.

Why it matters

The Swalwell and Gonzales cases highlight longstanding concerns about the House Ethics Committee's ability to effectively investigate and discipline members accused of misconduct. With two members of different parties forced out, there are bipartisan demands to strengthen ethics rules and enforcement to restore public trust.

The details

Swalwell and Gonzales resigned after facing imminent votes on expulsion resolutions, with lawmakers of both parties indicating they would support the measures given the volume of evidence against the two. Their resignations did not stop the finger-pointing, with Democrats questioning why Gonzales wasn't pressured to step down sooner and Republicans asking why Democrats hadn't acted on a previous allegation against Swalwell. Meanwhile, two other lawmakers facing serious allegations - Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Republican Rep. Cory Mills - are still fighting to keep their jobs as the House Ethics Committee's investigation grinds on.

  • In late 2023, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick on allegations of campaign finance violations.
  • In March 2025, the Ethics Committee started a probe of Mills on fraud allegations, which was expanded in November to include sexual misconduct allegations.

The players

Eric Swalwell

A Democratic congressman who resigned amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment, including of former staffers.

Tony Gonzales

A Republican congressman who also resigned over similar allegations of misconduct.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

A Democratic congresswoman facing an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct allegations.

Cory Mills

A Republican congressman also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for fraud and sexual misconduct allegations.

Mark DeSaulnier

The top Democratic member of the House Ethics Committee, who defended the value of the committee's deliberative process.

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What they’re saying

“Can you imagine this institution, if you didn't have a deliberative process based on law? If members would just be deciding on their own, or groups of members, who stays and who goes?”

— Mark DeSaulnier, Top Democratic member of the House Ethics Committee

“We can police ourselves, but this place is a joke. The whole thing is ridiculous, and that's why 12 percent of the population, if we're lucky, votes.”

— Tim Burchett, Republican Congressman from Tennessee

“Hopefully this will start changing the expectations. Because, sadly, until there are enough consequences that enough men say, 'I'm not going to do this anymore,' there's going to be other ones.”

— Teresa Leger Fernández, Democratic Congresswoman

What’s next

The House Ethics Committee is expected to hold a rare public hearing next week to decide on the punishment for Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is facing allegations of campaign finance violations. The committee is also continuing its investigation into Republican Rep. Cory Mills over fraud and sexual misconduct allegations.

The takeaway

The resignations of Reps. Swalwell and Gonzales have reignited bipartisan calls for Congress to reform its ethics rules and enforcement processes to better protect staffers and restore public trust. However, the slow pace of investigations into other lawmakers accused of misconduct suggests the chamber still has work to do to address the problem of bad behavior by its members.