SWALWELL OUT: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). ended his campaign for governor of California on Sunday evening following explosive allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Swalwell apologized for “mistakes in judgment,” while maintaining that the accusations against him are false.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he said in a post on X.
But the ramifications for Swalwell seem likely to go beyond his campaign, as The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s (R-Fla.) push to expel or force the resignation of Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who admitted to having an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide, gained support from both sides of the aisle throughout the weekend.
Expulsion is a high bar in the House, requiring support from a two-thirds majority, but efforts to remove the two congressmen and potentially two others seem like they could get a recorded vote this week.
Swalwell’s exit was swift after multiple women came forward in media reports starting Friday accusing him of sexual harassment and assault.
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported a former staffer alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice while she was intoxicated. CNN later reported on accusations from three additional women who accused him of sexual misconduct, including sharing unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos with them.
Campaign staff and others who have backed him in the race quickly distanced themselves from the congressman. His two campaign co-chairs both resigned from their roles and called on him to drop out of the race, and every congressional Democrat who had supported him rescinded their endorsement.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said she would force a vote to censure Swalwell over the allegations. A growing number of House Republicans and Democrats are calling on both Swalwell and Gonzales to step down or potentially face expulsion.
Axios reported that multiple expulsion resolutions can't be paired together, so Luna will lead one to oust Swalwell while Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) leads the one on Gonzales. The plan is for both resolutions to be introduced Tuesday with the goal of having votes on them Wednesday.
But these efforts may extend further, leading to expulsion votes for Florida Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) and Cory Mills (R).
Cherfilus-McCormick has been accused of improperly using federal disaster funds to finance her campaign. A subpanel of the House Ethics Committee found she committed 25 ethical violations, and the committee is set to meet next week to discuss what disciplinary action against her is warranted.
Mills has been immersed in multiple personal controversies, including allegations of dating violence, stolen valor and stolen government contracts. He has denied wrongdoing.
Lawmakers have traditionally been hesitant to expel members unless they have been convicted of a crime or completed the House’s ethics investigative process.
However, a House Democratic leadership aide and a senior House Democrat told Axios that if either of the expulsion votes against Swalwell or Gonzales succeeds, it could trigger a chain reaction.
▪ Politico: Swalwell staffers ‘horrified’ by accusations.
▪ The Hill: Manhattan district attorney investigating Swalwell allegation.
BACK TO BUSINESS: Lawmakers are also set to face a busy agenda beyond potential disciplinary measures when they return from a two-week recess Monday.
At the top of the agenda is finally bringing an end to the record-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Senate Budget Committee is set to start drafting a second reconciliation bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol as part of a Trump-backed two-step process to fully fund DHS.
The Senate has already sent a bill to fund the department except for ICE and Border Patrol to the House for a vote. But several House Republicans have said they won’t support that bill until funding for immigration enforcement is completed.
The Senate is also set to vote on a war powers resolution pushed by Democrats to limit Trump’s authority in attacking Iran. The measure is expected to fail given widespread Republican opposition.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is poised to continue his push for a “clean” 18-month reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the government to spy on foreigners abroad without obtaining a warrant.
Members of his conference are divided, as some are demanding reforms to ensure U.S. citizens’ information isn’t being obtained through the law.
And Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will likely face renewed pressure on advancing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has been one of the law’s top proponents, indicated the Senate would resume a marathon debate on the bill this week.
Read more from The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi about what to expect from Congress this week here.
▪ The Hill: Paycheck uncertainty looms for airport security workers.
BALLROOM BATTLE: An appeals court has permitted construction on a ballroom at the White House to go forward for now, requesting clarification from a lower court judge who blocked it.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 on Saturday that a preliminary injunction from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon should be paused until April 17. Leon’s order included an exception for construction necessary “to ensure the safety and security” of the White House and the president, but the appeals court is seeking more information about it.
“We thus remand these cases to the district court with instructions to promptly address the pending motion to clarify how the injunction and its exception will ensure safety and security pending litigation,” the ruling states.
The court battle is the only obstacle standing in Trump’s way of moving forward on building the ballroom, as it received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission earlier this month. The commission is mostly made up of Trump appointees.
▪ The Hill: Ballroom saga invokes national security threats.
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