Luna Calls for Quick Expulsion of Swalwell as Ethics Panel Opens Inquiry

Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Republican of Florida, said she wanted votes as early as Wednesday on expelling Representatives Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales over sexual misconduct accusations.

The men, Representatives Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, and Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas, are both expected to face motions to remove them from office this week. Mr. Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor" on Sunday after news reports last week about accusations of sexual assault of a former staff member and sexual misconduct with other women.

Those accusations have reinvigorated a push to expel Mr. Gonzales, who admitted last month to "a sexual relationship with a staff member" who later took her own life. He has not addressed "a second accusation that he pressured a former staff member into a sexual relationship. Though Mr. Gonzales suspended his re-election bid, he has resisted calls to step down.

Ms. Luna, who is leading the effort to expel Mr. Swalwell, has called for both men to be removed from their positions. In a letter to colleagues sent as lawmakers were returning to Washington after a two-week recess, a copy of which was viewed by The New York Times, she argued that both men had seriously damaged the reputation of the House and distracted from the work that members were doing on behalf of their constituents.

“Although we may have ideological differences among parties and political philosophy, the one thing that we should all agree on is that sexual harassment, inappropriate relationships with staff, and intentional and malicious violation of congressional House rules are unacceptable in the United States House of Representatives,” Ms. Luna wrote.

The House Ethics Committee also announced on Monday that it had opened an investigation into the accusations made against Mr. Swalwell. The committee had already been investigating Mr. Gonzales when the second accusation against him surfaced.

The post appeared first on The New York Times.