AOC, Boebert joins calls for sexual misconduct in Congress | Politics News

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum called in Congress this week for more accountability for sexual misconduct, after two US representatives resigned amid a barrage of accusations.

Underscoring the bipartisan nature of the calls, both Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a high-profile progressive, and Republican Lauren Boebert, a champion of US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, were among those calling for greater scrutiny and punishment for those accused of sexual misconduct.

Both Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, and Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, announced their resignations Monday amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Two representatives, Republican Anna Paulina Luna and Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez, told CBS News earlier this week that they were preparing to introduce resolutions to oust both Swalwell and Gonzales.

They credited the pressure campaign with both men’s decisions to voluntarily leave the chamber, saying they were willing to repeat the tactic against other members of Congress facing sexual misconduct and ethics investigations.

What did Ocasio-Cortez and Boebert say?

The issue represents a rare area of ​​bipartisan cooperation in the US Congress, which has remained deeply polarized in recent years. Republicans currently control 218 seats to 213 held by Democrats in the chamber.

Statements by Ocasio-Cortez and Boebert, who represent the left and right flanks of their parties, respectively, underscore the broad unity on the issue, and have long been portrayed as fireworks by their critics.

Ocasio-Cortez called the resignations “an important turning point.”

She said the “abuse of power should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an important reset point for the institution.”

“But I don’t think our work is done.”

To go further, Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday named Republican Cory Mills, who remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for sexual misconduct and campaign finance, as the next lawmaker to resign.

“I’m glad that Eric Swalwell is going. I’m glad that Tony Gonzales is going. Honestly, I think Cory Mills should be on that list, too,” she said.

Boebert, meanwhile, said in a post on X that she was pursuing efforts to strip Swalwell and Gonzales of their federal pensions.

In another video, she encouraged those facing harassment in Congress to speak to her directly.

“If your boss mistreats you or someone else in the office, tell someone – come to my office. If you want to stay anonymous, stay anonymous,” she said. “Let one of our loud mouths take it out for you.”

What were the allegations against Swalwell and Gonzalez?

Five women have publicly accused Swalwell of sexual abuse, the most recent coming to light on Tuesday. Lonna Drewes said the lawmaker drugged and raped her in 2018.

Another woman, identified as a former staff member, previously told CNN that Swalwell raped her in a New York hotel in 2024. Three other women told US news outlets they had received inappropriate messages from Swalwell.

Swalwell pointed to “errors in judgment” but denied taking part in any sexual abuse. He criticized his fellow lawmakers for deciding to suspend him without “due process”, while his lawyer maintained that the allegations against him were politically motivated.

A day before he resigned from Congress, he announced that he was also dropping out of the California gubernatorial race, in which polls showed him as a frontrunner.

Gonzales admitted to having an affair with a staff member in 2024. The woman then committed suicide. The House Code of Conduct prohibits by law having sexual relations with staff members.

Despite the recognition, Gonzales resisted calls to resign for months.

What do you have coming next?

Several lawmakers used the resignation to highlight a culture of silence in Congress about the behavior of their colleagues.

Speaking to The Associated Press news agency, Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, condemned the trend for Congress to “basically look the other way.” She called on both Republican and Democratic leadership to “really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for these women to come forward.”

Some have compared the calls for greater accountability to the bipartisan push to force the administration of US President Donald Trump to release investigative documents linked to billionaire financiers. Jeffrey Epstein.

The White House initially resisted the calls, but Trump eventually signed legislation passed by both the House and Senate that required the Justice Department to release the files.

Speaking to CBS News, Luna and Leger Fernandez, the lawmakers who led the push against Swalwell and Gonzales, said they are also investigating Republican Mills and Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who has been charged with illegally diverting federal funds to her campaign. Cherfilus-McCormick has not been accused of any sexual misconduct.

Army Fernandez said they hope to combat a culture of impunity.

“We are going to hold men accountable, and we will not allow women to continue to be silenced,” she said.