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Lawmakers from both parties expressed disgust and alarm that Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has been able to hold elected office for 16 years, build a national profile — even mount a front-running gubernatorial campaign — all the while masking the alleged sexual misconduct that forced him from office earlier this week.
“There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy in the Capitol for that type of behavior,” Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., said.
“I’m glad that he resigned. He needed to resign. My heart breaks for any victim, all the women who have come forward thus far. And I’m horrified by his behavior.”
McBride’s thoughts were echoed by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who noted Swalwell’s conduct had crossed obvious red lines.
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“I think it’s pretty clear. Don’t sleep with your staff. Don’t sexually harass people that work for you. And don’t rape women. It’s not really that hard of a list to follow,” Van Duyne said.
The remarks from lawmakers come as Capitol Hill grapples with how to prevent similar stories from repeating themselves down the road.
Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last week laid out accounts from multiple victims detailing how Swalwell had made sexual advances toward intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and invited them to send him explicit images over text.
In their wake, Swalwell announced he would abandon his campaign to become the next governor of California on Sunday. A day later, he also announced his resignation from Congress.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was left baffled by how Swalwell had managed to keep his conduct under wraps — despite an apparent reputation for pushing the envelope.
“I don’t know — I mean it’s a shame and it’s shameful. I know folks say that there were rumors and so forth,” Castro said.
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At the same time, he noted that members have limited visibility into each other’s lives.
“This place — people don’t generally, unless they intend to, they don’t generally hang around with each other a lot,” Castro said.
To Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., future instances of misconduct might be prevented by a greater culture of transparency between offices.
“I think that people need to know that they can come to women members like me and do something,” Dingell said.
“And I’ll tell you one thing. If Nancy Pelosi had had any indications, she would have cut his ‘blanks’ off,” she added, referring to the former speaker of the House.
Even after his resignation, Swalwell has continued to rebuff the claims against him.
“These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” Sara Azari, Swalwell’s attorney, wrote on social media Tuesday.
“The timing, nature and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves.”
Other members reacting to Swalwell’s comments said they were not concerned about when the claims surfaced.
“It’s always unfortunate whenever allegations like this emerge at whatever time. But I don’t think there’s a wrong time for truthful allegations to ever come out,” Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., said.
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With Swalwell having resigned office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would hold a special election to fill to fill the vacancy on Aug. 18.
A special primary is scheduled for June 16.
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