Eric Swalwell and Three Others Could Be Expelled from Congress in Plan Reportedly Being Considered By Both Sides: ‘Get the Garbage Out of Here’

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) could soon be expelled from Congress over the allegations of sexual misconduct and rape that have rocked his gubernatorial campaign and sent staffers fleeing from his team, according to a report from Axios on Sunday.

“We want a full house cleaning. Get the garbage out of here,” one House Democrat told the outlet. “These jerks are destroying Congress, for the American people and for all of us who came here to do good work.”

More representatives may be joining Swalwell on the chopping block, too.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said on Saturday she planned on forcing a vote to boot Swalwell when lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. next week, following the sexual assault and misconduct claims that were made against him.

Axios reported Democrats plan to counter that ove with a vote to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX).

“If those votes succeed — which may be a long-shot, given that expulsion requires a two-thirds majority in the House — votes to expel Reps. Cory Mills (R-FL.) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) could follow, sources said,” reporter Andrew Solender wrote.

He added: “Lawmakers in both parties are exasperated with recent ethics and sex scandals, and some are privately entertaining the catharsis of a proverbial bloodletting.”

The report comes two days after a former staffer accused Swalwell of raping her twice in a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. CNN reported later on Friday that multiple women had accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including the woman mentioned in the Chronicle report, who said he raped her in 2019 and another time during a trip to New York City in 2024; the Manhattan District Attorney’s office on Saturday announced it was launching a probe into the 2024 rape accusation.

“I remember the next day, I can see flashes of that evening, of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me. It was a lot more aggressive — it was aggressive,” the accuser told CNN’s Pamela Brown about one of the alleged rapes. Her face was kept in the dark on camera.

“Did you say no?” Brown asked her.

“Yes, I said no. In the flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off of me saying ‘no,’” the accuser said.

Swalwell told the Chronicle, “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor.”

The Democratic lawmaker — who is running to replace Gavin Newsom (D) as California’s next governor — was hit with a wave of staffers quitting on Friday. 

On Saturday, staffers from his congressional office and his gubernatorial team released a statement saying they were “horrified” by the accusations and that they “stand with” his accusers. 

You can watch Brown’s interview above, via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!