Swalwell and Gonzales Resign Amid Misconduct Allegations

Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas, resigned Monday amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving staff members, averting bipartisan efforts to expel them from Congress.

Swalwell, a seven-term lawmaker representing a district east of San Francisco, announced his departure hours before Gonzales, a three-term representative of a border region from San Antonio to El Paso. Swalwell's resignation took effect at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, while Gonzales's became official at midnight that day. Both decisions came as the House prepared to reconvene in Washington, D.C., following a recess, and just before colleagues planned to force floor votes on their removal.

The resignations followed investigations announced by the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel of five Republicans and five Democrats tasked with reviewing allegations against members. The committee disclosed its probe into Swalwell on Monday and into Gonzales on March 4. With the lawmakers now gone, the inquiries are no longer needed, though their exits have intensified criticism of the panel's slow pace.