Political Misconduct

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R‑Texas) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D‑California) both announced in mid‑April 2026 that they would leave the House amid separate sexual‑misconduct allegations, and within days formally submitted resignations to avoid imminent expulsion votes. Gonzales, who had admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide and faced at least one additional accusation of explicit messaging, publicly said he would “file my retirement” when Congress reconvened and eventually transmitted a resignation. Swalwell’s announcement came within hours of Gonzales’s; both departures coincided with active House Ethics investigations that are likely to be suspended once they are no longer members. The exits immediately altered the chamber’s arithmetic and followed GOP leaders’ earlier calls for Gonzales to step aside and for party figures to redirect endorsements in his runoff.