House Ethics Panel Requests Victims Come Forward After 2 Lawmakers Resign

The House Ethics Committee revealed 20 misconduct investigations since 2017, with five cases left unnamed.

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington on March 17, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The House Ethics Committee issued a public statement Monday asking victims of congressional sexual misconduct to come forward and published a record of publicly disclosed investigations involving House members spanning decades.

The bipartisan panel, chaired by Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), revealed it had conducted 20 sexual misconduct investigations since 2017. Five cases did not appear on the list. The committee’s chief counsel and staff director Thomas A. Rust did not immediately reply to The Epoch Times about the omissions.

“There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee said in its statement.

“The Committee has a long history of investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by Members of the House, ranging from criminal sexual activity to behavior implicating civil employment discrimination laws and more general standards of conduct.”

In the statement, the committee acknowledged that its biggest hurdle is encouraging victims to report what happened.

“The greatest hurdle the Committee faces in evaluating allegations of sexual misconduct is in convincing the most vulnerable witnesses to share their stories,” the statement read. “Accordingly, the Committee’s practice has been to release only the information that is necessary to hold Members accountable for misconduct and address public reporting that impacts the integrity of the House.”

The committee, established in 1967, also noted several avenues to report misconduct, such as the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights and the Office of Employee Assistance.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) issued his own statement the day before Monday’s release.

“Victims must be protected and perpetrators must be held fully and swiftly accountable for their actions,” DeSaulnier wrote. “I intend to use this moment to push for exactly that, so accountability isn’t optional and silence isn’t the default. Public service is a privilege. It should never be used as a shield.”

The committee said it has opened 28 cases in total, noting that conduct falling short of legal definitions of sexual harassment or assault can still represent a violation of the House Code of Official Conduct.

The statement came one week after Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigned from Congress due to bipartisan pressure as both men faced accusations of sexual misconduct that. The departures left House Republicans with a narrow 217–213 majority.

Swalwell and Gonzales formally handed in their resignations April 14, effective immediately. Swalwell denied the allegations.

One former staffer alleged that Swalwell assaulted her twice. She claimed the first time was in 2019 while she was employed by him and again at a 2024 charity event when she was too intoxicated to consent. Three other women alleged he sent unsolicited nude photographs and escalating sexual messages.

The House Ethics Committee on April 13 announced it had opened a formal probe.

That same day, Swalwell announced both the end of his gubernatorial campaign and his intent to leave Congress.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The investigation was subsequently closed when Swalwell left office before it could be completed.

Gonzales acknowledged in March that he had an extramarital affair with a staffer who later committed suicide. He was also accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a former campaign aide. On March 5, he dropped his bid for reelection ahead of an Ethics Committee investigation. The next day, he acknowledged the affair in a radio interview, calling it “a lapse in judgment.”

Swalwell resigned first, followed by Gonzales.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales wrote on X.