Swalwell and Gonzales Face Expulsion Votes Amid Scandals

House Expulsion Votes: Will Swalwell and Gonzales Be Removed from Congress?

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The House of Representatives faces a critical moment as bipartisan expulsion votes target two sitting members. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) face potential removal following serious misconduct allegations that have shaken both parties.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) plans to force a vote next week to expel Swalwell over sexual assault allegations. Democrats have signaled they will respond by moving to expel Gonzales, who faces a House Ethics investigation into sexual misconduct. The tit-for-tat expulsion attempts could trigger unprecedented fallout in Congress, potentially affecting other members under investigation.

What Are the Allegations Against Eric Swalwell?

The San Francisco Chronicle broke the story Friday that a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions, with the first alleged incident occurring in 2019. CNN followed with a detailed report featuring four women who accused the congressman of various acts of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell has categorically denied all allegations. In a video posted to social media Saturday, he stated: "These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen, they never happened." He also apologized to his wife for unspecified mistakes, creating confusion about what he acknowledges.

The political consequences have been swift and severe. Swalwell has shed endorsements rapidly, with even his own campaign chair, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), rescinding his support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have called for Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign, though they stopped short of demanding his resignation from Congress.

How Did Swalwell's Gubernatorial Campaign Collapse?

Before the allegations surfaced, Swalwell was actively campaigning to become California's next governor. That campaign has effectively imploded within days.

Democratic Party leaders and House colleagues have urged him to drop the gubernatorial bid, recognizing the damage these allegations inflict on the party's standing. Swalwell's ActBlue fundraising page was pulled down on Friday, cutting off a critical revenue stream. This move signals that national Democratic infrastructure has distanced itself from his campaign.

The speed of this collapse demonstrates how quickly political support evaporates when serious allegations emerge.

Why Are Democrats Targeting Tony Gonzales for Expulsion?

Democrats plan to counter Luna's expulsion effort by targeting Gonzales, who faces his own House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. Two Democratic leadership aides confirmed to Axios that this response is coordinated and intentional.

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Gonzales has already dropped his bid for reelection and admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. He called the relationship a "lapse in judgment," though the Ethics Committee continues investigating additional allegations.

His admission provides Democrats with ammunition for their expulsion effort, though the circumstances differ significantly from the Swalwell allegations. The parallel expulsion votes create a politically charged environment where neither party can claim moral high ground.

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What Does Congressional Expulsion Require?

Expelling a member of Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House of Representatives. This high threshold makes successful expulsions extremely rare in American history.

Since 1789, the House has expelled only five members, with three removed during the Civil War for supporting the Confederacy. Lawmakers have historically stopped short of expelling members absent a criminal conviction or completed House Ethics Committee investigation.

This precedent creates significant obstacles for both Luna's and Democrats' expulsion efforts. Neither Swalwell nor Gonzales has been criminally convicted, and the Ethics Committee process for Gonzales remains ongoing. The two-thirds requirement means substantial bipartisan cooperation is necessary.

Could These Votes Create a Chain Reaction?

Democratic leadership aides and a senior House Democrat warned that successful expulsion votes could trigger a chain reaction affecting other members. Members might force expulsion votes against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.).

This domino effect represents lawmakers' primary concern about lowering the expulsion threshold. If Congress begins expelling members based on allegations rather than convictions or completed investigations, it could weaponize the expulsion process for political gain.

The potential chain reaction also raises questions about due process and fairness. Should Congress wait for investigations to conclude before voting on expulsion? What standard of evidence should apply?

How Does the House Ethics Committee Handle Misconduct?

The House Ethics Committee traditionally serves as the primary mechanism for investigating and disciplining members. This bipartisan committee conducts confidential investigations and issues recommendations ranging from reprimands to expulsion referrals.

The committee's process typically takes months or even years to complete. Members generally defer to this process before taking dramatic action like expulsion votes.

Luna's planned vote circumvents this traditional pathway, potentially setting a precedent that future members could exploit. Gonzales faces an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation, which Democrats may cite as justification for their counter-expulsion effort. However, that investigation remains incomplete, raising questions about whether expulsion votes should proceed before conclusions are reached.

What Are the Political Risks for Both Parties?

The dual expulsion efforts create significant political risks for both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats must balance accountability with due process concerns, especially given their historical emphasis on believing accusers.

Republicans face scrutiny over whether Luna's effort represents genuine concern about misconduct or political opportunism. For Democrats, the Swalwell situation is particularly problematic given the party's stance on sexual misconduct following the #MeToo movement.

Party leaders have called for accountability and transparency, but the lack of criminal charges creates a gray area. Republicans must navigate similar terrain with Gonzales. His admission of an affair with a staffer provides factual grounding for misconduct claims, but the connection to the staffer's suicide complicates the narrative.

How Could Expulsions Affect the House Balance of Power?

The House currently maintains a narrow Republican majority, making every seat consequential for legislative control. Expelling members from either party could shift this delicate balance, though special elections would eventually fill the vacancies.

California and Texas would hold special elections to replace Swalwell and Gonzales if expelled. California's heavily Democratic district would likely remain Democratic, while Gonzales represents a competitive Texas district that either party could win.

The timing of these votes also matters significantly. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, both parties are calculating how these scandals affect their electoral prospects.

What Happens Next in the Expulsion Process?

Luna plans to force the Swalwell expulsion vote next week through a privileged resolution. This procedural tool requires the House to vote within two legislative days, preventing leadership from burying the measure.

Democrats will likely employ the same tactic for the Gonzales expulsion vote. The votes will test party unity and individual members' willingness to cross party lines. Some members may vote "present" to avoid taking a definitive position.

Both Swalwell and Gonzales face career-defining moments as their colleagues decide whether they deserve to remain in Congress.

What Questions Must Lawmakers Answer?

Lawmakers voting on these expulsion measures must grapple with several critical questions:

• Should allegations alone justify expulsion without criminal conviction?
• Does the Ethics Committee process deserve deference before expulsion votes?
• How do we balance accountability with due process protections?
• What precedent does expelling members without completed investigations establish?
• Are these expulsion efforts genuine accountability or political retaliation?

These questions lack easy answers, forcing members to make difficult choices that could haunt them politically. The decisions made in these votes may establish standards that govern congressional accountability for years to come.

How Does This Compare to Past Congressional Expulsion Efforts?

Historical precedent suggests both expulsion votes will likely fail. The House has rarely expelled members, and never based solely on misconduct allegations without criminal conviction.

The most recent expulsion occurred in 2002 when Rep. James Traficant was removed following his conviction on corruption charges. In 2017, the House came close to expelling Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) over sexual harassment allegations and misuse of taxpayer funds to settle claims.

Farenthold resigned before an expulsion vote occurred, avoiding the historic stain of removal. His resignation suggests members facing credible allegations often choose to leave rather than face expulsion. The Swalwell and Gonzales cases differ because neither member has indicated plans to resign voluntarily.

What Does This Mean for Congressional Accountability Standards?

These expulsion efforts occur against a backdrop of ongoing concerns about congressional accountability. Multiple members from both parties have faced misconduct allegations in recent years, with varying consequences.

Some resigned under pressure, others faced Ethics Committee sanctions, and still others remained in office despite serious allegations. The inconsistent handling of misconduct allegations has frustrated advocates who demand clearer standards and stronger accountability measures.

Congress lacks a comprehensive sexual harassment policy comparable to those in many private sector organizations. Staff members often have limited recourse when powerful members engage in misconduct.

Will Congress Set New Precedents for Removing Members?

The simultaneous expulsion efforts targeting Swalwell and Gonzales represent an unprecedented moment in congressional history. These votes will test whether Congress can hold members accountable for alleged misconduct while respecting due process principles.

The two-thirds majority requirement makes successful expulsion unlikely, but the votes themselves will force members to take public positions on accountability standards. The potential chain reaction affecting other members adds another layer of complexity to an already fraught situation.

Congress must decide whether to maintain traditional deference to the Ethics Committee process or embrace a more aggressive approach to removing members accused of misconduct. Whatever happens, these votes will establish precedents that shape congressional accountability for years to come.

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Both parties face a moment of reckoning about how seriously they take misconduct allegations and what standards they will apply consistently across party lines.