‘Get the garbage out of here’: Swalwell’s scandal just opened the door to expelling 4 members of Congress at once, and both parties want it

The scandal around Representative Eric Swalwell is growing fast, and it could lead to expulsion votes for at least three of his colleagues as soon as the House returns from recess next week. Lawmakers in both parties have been facing serious allegations, and the pressure to hold them accountable seems to finally be reaching a breaking point.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna has announced plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell, who is facing allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Swalwell has consistently denied these claims and has officially suspended his campaign for governor of California. He is now facing a very real threat to his seat in the House.

According to Axios, democrats are planning to counter with a vote to expel Representative Tony Gonzales, who has admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide and is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. If these votes succeed, which requires a two-thirds majority, sources indicate that votes to expel Representatives Cory Mills and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick could follow.

Both parties are fed up with the growing pile of ethics and sex scandals in Congress

Lawmakers on both sides are expressing deep frustration over the bottleneck of scandals that has seen little real accountability. One House Democrat said people feel confident that the allegations against all four members are credible. Another put it bluntly: “Get the garbage out of here because these individuals are destroying Congress for the American people and for everyone who came to Washington to do good work.”

The sentiment crosses party lines. Representative Nancy Mace confirmed she would support the move, and a House Republican said it is “a wise way to go.” Representative Jared Huffman stated on X that Swalwell should resign and that he would vote to expel both Swalwell and Gonzales.

Representative Mike Lawler called for Swalwell, Gonzales, and Cherfilus-McCormick to resign immediately or face expulsion, though he did not include Mills in that specific call. This is all happening at a time when Congress recently approved record immigration funding, raising further questions about whether lawmakers can be trusted to handle the country’s biggest issues responsibly.

Looking at the specific charges makes clear why tensions are running so high. Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by the Ethics Committee of funneling $5 million in COVID relief funds to her own campaign, though she has denied any wrongdoing. Mills is under investigation for allegations including financial misconduct, campaign finance violations, and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.

Despite the strong calls for action, there are real hurdles. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both appear to agree on the importance of due process. Many members are concerned about the precedent of expelling someone based on allegations that have not been fully decided in court. 

One House Democrat said: “I do not want Congress to turn into the morality police,” but added that if someone is found guilty of a crime, “you should not be there.” These internal divisions come at a time when Trump’s chief of staff is reportedly alarmed over growing public frustration with the administration, adding another layer of pressure on Congress to get its own house in order. 

Some lawmakers are predicting half-measures like censure instead of full expulsion. One Democrat suggested that “expelling is a whole different kettle of fish” and that the body might return to the process of censuring. 

Still, a key factor in these conversations is that, unlike the expulsion of George Santos, this situation involves two Republicans and two Democrats, meaning there would be no net change in the balance of power in the House. As one House Democrat put it, there is simply no support among their peers for any of these four individuals.