U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, could face expulsion from Congress as soon as this week as calls grow on both sides of the aisle to eject him and a Democratic colleague over sexual misconduct allegations, two Democratic leadership aides told Axios.
The renewed demands for Gonzales’ removal follow allegations published last week against U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, who’s accused of sexually assaulting one former female staffer and of engaging in sexual misconduct towards several others during his time in Congress.
Democrats’ plans to remove Gonzales are in response to a ploy from U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, who plans to force a vote in the next few days to expel Swalwell, Axios reports.
In a video posted to Instagram Friday, Swalwell denied the allegations. Even so, he ended his campaign for California governor Sunday as the allegations swirled.
For his part, Gonzales last month admitted to having an affair with staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who took her own life last year by setting herself on fire. A third-term Republican from San Antonio, Gonzales, also said he would no longer seek reelection.
Over the weekend, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Florida, said on NBC’s Meet the Press that he’d be in favor of expelling both lawmakers from Congress.
“These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress,” Donalds said. “These things are just completely unacceptable. As far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, during a separate Meet the Press appearance said she would vote to remove both men.
“I think that this is very important that we believe women and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior,” she said.
Even so, a Democratic leadership aide and a senior House Democrat told Axios that removing either man from Congress — which requires a two-thirds majority — could set off a chain reaction involving the U.S. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Florida, and Cory Mills, R-Florida.
A bipartisan panel of House Ethics Committee members last month found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of financial misconduct, while a House ethics panel in November launched an investigation into allegations of campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct, dating violence and misuse of office against Mills.
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