House Ethics Committee Opens Investigation Into Rep. Eric Swalwell Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations as Expulsion Threat Emerges

The House Ethics Committee has formally announced an investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) over allegations of sexual misconduct, marking a significant escalation that could ultimately threaten the California Democrat’s tenure in Congress. The probe comes amid a broader atmosphere in which House Republican leadership has signaled willingness to pursue expulsion proceedings against members found to have committed serious misconduct, raising the political stakes for Swalwell considerably.

The House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel composed of five Republicans and five Democrats, operates under strict confidentiality rules during the investigative phase. The committee’s public announcement that it has moved from a preliminary review to a full investigation signals that the panel determined there is sufficient basis to warrant a deeper inquiry into the allegations against Swalwell. The specific details of the sexual misconduct allegations have not been fully disclosed publicly, as is standard practice during active Ethics Committee proceedings. The committee has the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents, conduct depositions, and ultimately issue recommendations ranging from a letter of reproval to censure or even expulsion. Swalwell has represented his East Bay-area district since defeating longtime incumbent Pete Stark in 2012, and he briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019 before dropping out early in the primary.

The mention of expulsion as a potential consequence carries enormous weight, both procedurally and politically. Under Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution, each chamber of Congress has the power to expel a member with a two-thirds vote. In the entire history of the House of Representatives, only five members have ever been expelled — three during the Civil War for supporting the Confederacy, one in 1980 following a corruption conviction, and most recently Rep. George Santos (R-NY) in December 2023 after an Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence of fraud and misuse of campaign funds. The Santos expulsion was notable because it was the first in over 20 years and demonstrated that the modern Congress, under certain conditions, retains the political will to remove one of its own. Whether the current Republican majority would pursue a similar course with Swalwell depends heavily on the findings of the investigation and the political dynamics within the chamber. Some observers note that the current House majority is narrow, meaning every seat carries outsize importance for legislative control.

The investigation is expected to proceed over the coming weeks and months, though the Ethics Committee historically does not operate on a fixed public timeline. Key developments to watch include whether additional details of the allegations emerge through legal filings or public statements, whether Swalwell cooperates fully with the investigation or challenges its scope, and whether House Republican leadership moves to formalize any expulsion resolution before the committee’s work is concluded. Swalwell’s political future — and the broader precedent this case sets for how Congress handles sexual misconduct allegations against sitting members — will be closely watched by lawmakers in both parties, legal scholars, and advocacy organizations focused on workplace accountability in government. If the committee ultimately issues a report with findings of misconduct, the full House would then face the consequential decision of what disciplinary action, if any, to impose.