Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced on Monday that he plans to resign his seat in Congress in the wake of sexual assault allegations that sparked calls for him to quit or be subject to an expulsion vote. His announcement comes just one day after he suspended his campaign for California governor<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement on\u00a0X<\/u><\/a>, Swalwell posted that he is \u201cdeeply sorry\u201d to his family, staff and constituents but that \u201che will fight the serious, false allegation made against me.\u201d<\/p>\n “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,\u201d Swalwell said. \u201cBut it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”<\/p>\n California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., April 7, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rich Pedroncelli\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Swalwell\u2019s announcement comes on the same day that the House Ethics Committee said it was launching an investigation into the allegations against him.<\/p>\n \u00a0Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said Saturday that she planned to force a vote this week to expel Swalwell if he did not resign.\u00a0 In a\u00a0statement on X<\/a>\u00a0following Swalwell’s announcement that he will resign, Luna said, “He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation.”<\/p>\n The San Francisco Chronicle reported that an ex-staffer had sexual encounters with Swalwell when he was her boss, and alleged that he sexually assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent. In addition, CNN has reported on three additional women who detailed allegations of inappropriate conduct by Swalwell.\u00a0<\/p>\n ABC News has not independently verified the accounts as reported by The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.\u00a0<\/p>\n Swalwell did not say specifically when he plans to step down. Once Swalwell does resign, House Democrats will be down to 213 members. Republicans are expected to swear\u00a0in their\u00a0218th member\u00a0on Tuesday evening — Clay Fuller, who won a special election in Georgia last week — and independent\u00a0Rep. Kevin Kiley still conferences with\u00a0Republicans, which would give Speaker\u00a0Mike Johnson 219 votes.<\/p>\n It will be up to California Gov. Gavin Newsom if or when Swalwell\u2019s seat will be filled before the end of his term, according to California statutes.<\/p>\n Vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives are usually filled by special (off-cycle) elections, which can occur even during a year where those same House seats are up for regular election.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n However, a spokesperson for the office of the California Secretary of State pointed ABC News to the state\u2019s\u00a0election code<\/u><\/a>, which says that if \u201ca vacancy occurs in a congressional office after the close of the nomination period in the final year of the term of office, the Governor may decline to issue an election proclamation at his discretion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Qualifying for the ballot in California closed in early March, and Swalwell\u2019s current term in Congress ends after this year, meaning that Newsom has the choice of whether to call a special election or not.<\/p>\n Newsom\u2019s office, reached for comment by ABC News, said it is reviewing the matter and will make an official announcement once the seat is formally vacant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/ba3d7f2f-5148-4f02-a5c1-dca695d1f04c\/swalwell-ap-jt-260410_1775858342260_hpMain.jpg?w=375)
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