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Congress abuse allegations spur calls for reform
Lawmakers are pushing faster ethics probes, pension penalties and stronger accountability after two resignations renewed scrutiny of Capitol Hill’s harassment rules.
- On Tuesday, Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned from Congress shortly before colleagues could have voted to expel them over sexual misconduct allegations.
- The 2018 Congressional Accountability Act sought to curb harassment through streamlined complaints and mandatory settlement payments, yet lawmakers and aides argue these reforms failed to address the pervasive drinking culture on Capitol Hill.
- Swalwell faces accusations of drugging and raping a staffer in 2018, while Gonzales reportedly had an affair with a staffer who later died. Nine lawmakers have lost their jobs in six months over workplace misconduct.
- Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, is calling for further resignations, stating she wants "every single predator that's in Congress now to be forced to resign." Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, called the departures "an important turning point."
- Lawmakers are debating how to expedite ethics investigations to ensure claims do not become places where "allegations go to die," though some remain skeptical that Congress will enact the tougher rules necessary for systemic change.
12 Articles
12 Articles
‘Cesspool of inflated male egos’: Congress reckons with a culture of persistent sexual harassment
As rumors of sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell swirled on Capitol Hill and online, a former staffer reached out to the California Democrat’s campaign about a call from a reporter.
Nancy Mace calls on Congress to release sexual harassment records, wants an 'avalanche of resignations' – Democratic Accent
Rep. Nancy Mace is calling for a reckoning in the halls of Congress following the resignation of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. She accused the political establishment of shielding predators to protect their own power and introduced a resolution to stop it. Mace joined “Saturday in America” to discuss the resolution she put forward for the House Ethics Committee to release its records on sexual harassment by lawmakers. “I think there should be a…
Nancy Mace calls on Congress to release sexual harassment records, wants an 'avalanche of resignations'
Rep. Nancy Mace introduces a resolution for the House Ethics Committee to release sexual harassment records following the resignations of Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales.
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