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Eric Swalwell says he will resign from Congress

"I plan to resign my seat in Congress," Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday as he faces an expulsion vote.

Published April 13, 2026, 9:52 PM
Updated April 13, 2026, 10:08 PM1.8K
Eric Swalwell says he will resign from Congress

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Caitlin Yilek

Politics Reporter

Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

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Washington — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday he will resign from Congress as he faces allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct from several women. 

"I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members," he said in a statement. "Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress." 

Swalwell's political career imploded as multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape and unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos. The congressman ended his campaign for California governor on Sunday as he hemorrhaged support.

In his resignation announcement, Swalwell again apologized for past "mistakes in judgment," but vowed to fight the "serious, false allegation." The statement seemingly referred to the claims made by a former staffer, whose story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday. 

The woman accused Swalwell of having sex with her when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. Three other women also detailed Swalwell's alleged sexual misconduct to CNN. 

The bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced earlier Monday it was investigating Swalwell. Swalwell's resignation likely ends the ethics investigation. 

This is a breaking story and will be updated. 

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