Another California Democrat Hit With Sexual Assault Claims

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) is officially under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, making him the latest California Democrat to face scrutiny as a series of scandals continues to roil Congress.

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The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced Monday that it is reviewing allegations that Gomez “may have engaged in sexual misconduct” in violation of the House Code of Official Conduct, including “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.” The committee cautioned that an investigation does not itself establish that Gomez violated any law or House rule. “No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,” the committee said.

The New York Post reported in April that Gomez had been seen kissing a much younger congressional aide in the backyard of then-Rep. Eric Swalwell’s Washington residence in August 2023. Gomez, 51, acknowledged in June that he had engaged in extramarital conduct but insisted that his actions were consensual and did not violate the law or House ethics rules.

“Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family,” Gomez wrote in a statement to CNN. “Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most.”

“I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family,” Gomez added. “I sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal my relationships and move forward with honesty, transparency and respect.”

Gomez said Monday that he would cooperate with the Ethics Committee investigation. The panel specifically cited an allegation involving “inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer,” though it did not provide further details.

Gomez remains on the ballot for reelection in California’s 34th Congressional District. He advanced through the state’s top-two primary earlier this year and will face far-left Democrat Angela Gonzales-Torres in November.

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The investigation comes during an unusually turbulent year for congressional ethics and sexual misconduct allegations. Two lawmakers, including California Democrat Eric Swalwell, have resigned from Congress this year amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell has denied wrongdoing. Swalwell’s departure is particularly notable in the context of Gomez’s case because the alleged 2023 encounter involving Gomez occurred at Swalwell’s Washington residence.

The Ethics Committee has also recommended that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) be censured after finding that he violated House rules involving sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment. Edwards subsequently abandoned his reelection campaign and has denied wrongdoing.

The House has been considering broader changes to its rules governing relationships between lawmakers and congressional staff. Current House rules do not categorically prohibit members from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with staffers who work for other members, although a bipartisan congressional task force is considering whether such relationships should be prohibited.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has endorsed a broader ban, saying that sexual relationships between lawmakers and congressional staffers are inappropriate in a workplace.

For now, the committee has not determined that Gomez violated House rules, and Gomez maintains that his conduct did not constitute an ethics violation.

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