Reckoning for Congress After Claims    04/15 06:14

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Resignations came quickly this week from two congressmen 
accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet for many of the women of 
Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was years in the making -- and far 
from enough.

   Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas 
Republican, both announced within hours of each other Monday that they were 
leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House returned to 
Washington and as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by 
their colleagues.

   It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the 
careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of 
the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations 
took too long and proved what they've long been saying: that more must be done 
to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation.

   "Today was an important turning point," said Democratic Rep. Alexandria 
Ocasio-Cortez of New York. "That it should -- that abuse of power -- should 
never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an 
important resetting point for the institution."

   A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file 
resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and Gonzales. 
Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after the San Francisco 
Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually 
assaulted her.

   The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024; they 
were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behavior made by other 
women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct but acknowledged 
mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted calls for his 
resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later 
committed suicide.

   "Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse 
women, and we're going to do more of it," said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernndez, who 
chairs the Democratic Women's Caucus.

   House rules forbid relationships with staff

   It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual 
relationship with their staff members.

   Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual 
trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also 
approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment 
complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to 
personally pay any penalties they're required to make.

   Former Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement for 
reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that problems still 
persist after those reforms.

   "What we do in Congress is basically look the other way," she said, adding 
that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader 
Hakeem Jeffries to "really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for 
these women to report."

   While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they announced 
their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had played out 
"appropriately."

   "This is the right thing for the institution," he said.

   How the push for accountability has grown

   Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the 
actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican women, 
mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial roles in 
forcing Congress to take up the issue.

   Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, alongside Rep. Lauren Boebert and then-Rep. 
Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump and 
Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on a bill 
mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein.

   Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has continued an 
outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual assault. She and Republican 
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called for Swalwell and Gonzales to 
resign.

   Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is 
facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and violence 
against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the allegations.

   Meanwhile, Mace and Luna are also calling for the resignation of Rep. Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. The House Ethics Committee found 
evidence that she broke campaign finance law related to a mistaken overpayment 
of $5 million from the state of Florida to her family's health care business. 
She has said she did nothing wrong.

   "Clean house. Expel them. Hold every last one accountable," Mace said on 
social media. "The American people are watching."

   At the same time, Mace herself is under investigation by the ethics panel 
for allegations she improperly claimed housing reimbursements. She has denied 
wrongdoing.

   Swalwell allies are facing close scrutiny

   As accusations of sexual abuse continued to land against Swalwell, some 
Democrats found themselves in a moment of reflection and contrition, especially 
those who kept close company with him.

   Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell's who chaired his 
presidential campaign, called reporters to his office on Tuesday for an 
emotional press conference.

   "I messed up. I'm human. I trusted this man," a teary-eyed Gallego said.

   Under intense questioning from reporters, Gallego acknowledged that he had 
heard rumors about Swalwell being "flirty," but contended that he trusted him 
as a close family friend.

   "I definitely look at the world in a different way now," Gallego said. "I 
personally am going to make sure that I'm going to take personal steps and 
office steps to make sure that we don't even get close to a gray line."

   Policing behavior in Congress presents challenges

   Speier, who entered politics by first working as a congressional aide and 
experienced harassment from a supervisor, said that part of the problem in 
Congress is that members are given wide latitude to run their offices. All 535 
lawmakers are bosses of their own hand-selected staff.

   "There's really no one overseeing you," Speier said. "There's a sense of 
entitlement that kind of overtakes many of these members."

   Speier, alongside then-Rep. Bradley Byrne, led the effort to pass 
legislation to make it easier to report sexual harassment and discrimination, 
including banning nondisclosure agreements to protect members of Congress.

   Since the 2018 reforms began requiring the Office of Congressional Workplace 
Rights to report awards and settlements related to formal complaints, there 
have been eight payments made by House members' offices, totaling just over 
$400,000. Those payments cover all types of violations of workplace rights, not 
just sexual harassment, and the violations could have been committed by other 
congressional staff in the office.

   Speier said that it was crucial to keep making it easier for survivors to 
report sexual abuse.

   "Unless someone comes forward, you know the conduct continues," she said.