The House Ethics Committee has begun a probe into Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) over allegations of sexual misconduct, it announced Monday in a statement.
Why it matters: Swalwell suspended his California gubernatorial campaign on Sunday after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
- Multiple House lawmakers have called for Swalwell to either quit Congress or face expulsion.
- The Ethics Committee said it will examine whether Swalwell "engaged in sexual misconduct, including toward an employee working under his supervision."
- Swalwell's office did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Driving the news: Swalwell has given no indication he plans to step down from Congress despite bipartisan calls to do so.
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell when Congress returns this week.
- Democrats in turn will offer a resolution to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who's being investigated by House Ethics over sexual misconduct allegations.
The big picture: Expelling a member of Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote.
- Leadership could move to refer any expulsion resolution to the Ethics Committee instead of having an up or down vote on the resolution.
- Lawmakers have historically been reluctant to expel members before a criminal conviction or the conclusion of an Ethics probe, which could take months or even years.
Zoom in: Democratic support for Swalwell quickly eroded after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported on four women who accused him of sexual misconduct on Friday.
- All 21 of the House and Senate Democrats who had been supporting his campaign rescinded their support, with several Democratic Party leaders calling on him to exit the gubernatorial race.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
