Washington — A cross-party effort prompted Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales to resign Tuesday under the threat of expulsion, and the two lawmakers who led the push say other members could face similar pressure.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández told CBS News they coordinated separate expulsion resolutions to build bipartisan support and increase pressure on Swalwell and Gonzales to step down rather than face removal votes. Multiple women recently accused Swalwell of sexual assault or sending unsolicited explicit messages, which he denies; Gonzales faced scrutiny over an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Swalwell also suspended his California gubernatorial campaign, and Gonzales dropped his reelection bid last month.
Luna said there was sufficient backing in the House to remove both members if votes had been held, asserting they “had two-thirds support for both people to be gone.” Leger Fernández said the resignations came after members acted when House leadership did not move quickly enough, adding that the matter only surfaced because women were willing to speak out.
Because House rules require individual members to file expulsion resolutions, Luna and Leger Fernández each introduced separate measures and coordinated strategy. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he did not cause the resignations and called the outcome appropriate, calling the allegations against Swalwell “alarming.” Johnson has also argued previously that members facing misconduct allegations deserve due process, including Ethics Committee investigations; the committee had been examining both Gonzales and Swalwell.
Both Luna and Leger Fernández indicated they could push for expulsion in additional cases. Luna specifically named Republican Rep. Cory Mills and Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick as potential subjects for similar action if warranted. Mills is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over alleged campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct and other accusations. Cherfilus-McCormick has been charged by federal prosecutors with improperly using pandemic relief funds in connection with her campaign; the Ethics Committee recently determined most allegations against her were substantiated, though it has not recommended punishment.
Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick deny wrongdoing. Mills told reporters he is not facing criminal charges or allegations involving staff and rejected comparisons to others. Cherfilus-McCormick said she will not resign, warned against setting a “dangerous precedent” of expelling members without formal findings, and said her case is not comparable to sexual assault allegations faced by some colleagues.
Luna and Leger Fernández framed this week’s resignations as part of a broader push to address misconduct, particularly abuses of power involving staff. “No means no,” Luna said. “You cannot sexually harass or assault people and not expect the law to come down on you.” Leger Fernández said the goal is to ensure such behavior will not be tolerated and to stop silencing women.
They also criticized the pace of the House Ethics Committee, calling its work too slow. Luna described the panel as “where things go to die,” and Leger Fernández urged changes to speed handling of serious allegations. Rep. Michael Guest, who chairs the committee, acknowledged investigations vary in complexity and said members and staff are working to move cases as quickly as possible.
Expulsion requires a two-thirds House vote, a high threshold that has made it rare; only six members have been expelled in U.S. history, most recently George Santos. Luna suggested the recent events could trigger “a chain reaction” of further action against members facing serious allegations.