WASHINGTON- The fall of Eric Swalwell has raised the possibility of a broader reckoning on Capitol Hill as congressional staff, reporters and opposition researchers rush to verify long-standing rumors about a sordid underground culture among the city's most powerful.
Former lawmakers from across the political spectrum have warned for years of a quiet bacchanal in Congress marked by inappropriate revelry and sexual misconduct. But a sense of growing momentum gripped Congress on Tuesday, as Democrats grappled with Swalwell's resignation and Republicans called for other lawmakers to face scrutiny.
The 72-hour collapse of Swalwell's political career has shifted attention not only to his closest associates in Congress but also to a broader group of sitting lawmakers from both parties suspected of lurid sexual activity. Several members have claimed that Swalwell's alleged behavior was an open secret amid a cacophony of rumors on social media about other possible criminals.
“I think a lot of people have known about this for a while,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said in an interview with The Times.
Luna, who planned to lead the charge to oust Swalwell before he resigned, alleged that junior employees talked among themselves about Swalwell's conduct. Lawmakers should have done more to reach out to him about the rumors, he said.
Several current and former employees who spoke to The Times described a broader culture of warning each other about lawmakers with reputations for inappropriate behavior.
But the warnings, conveyed privately among young aides, have focused on “sordid” activities and behavior that crosses borders, said a former legislative aide, who asked to remain anonymous. Rumors about misconduct generally do not meet the coverage threshold of traditional newsrooms, which are subject to strict ethical standards.
Another former aide said the quiet guidance shared among female staffers focused on behavior that is legal but nonetheless considered unprofessional and unbecoming of members of Congress, a line that has prevented many from speaking publicly.
Now, a race for influence is underway between two political parties facing comparable strategic risks (each with members facing growing questions about their alleged conduct) and for scoops among media outlets seeking to break the story first.
Monday's resignations of Swalwell and Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who faced his own sex scandal, also forced lawmakers to address the issue publicly. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), one of Swalwell's closest friends in Congress, responded at length to reporters' questions Tuesday, telling them that he should have confronted Swalwell when he heard rumors about his behavior.
“You let your guard down. I let him into my circle… I'm deeply sorry,” Gallego said.
He denied knowing about Swalwell's alleged misconduct when asked about the behavior.
“Look, we socialized. We hung out. But I never saw him engage in any predatory behavior, harassment or sexual assault,” Gallego said.
Notably silent was President Trump, who has faced his own accusations of sexual assault and has frequently clashed with Swalwell during his presidency. Although Trump published an article reporting Swalwell's resignation on social media, he has not commented on the matter in his own words.
The unfolding scandal comes at a time when lawmakers from all parties have come together to push for transparency in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender and alleged sex trafficker whose network of powerful associates included both Democrats and Republicans.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, details of Swalwell's scandal continued to unfold Tuesday, as a Beverly Hills woman accused him of drugging and raping her in 2018. The Times could not immediately reach his attorney; He previously denied allegations of rape and sexual misconduct made by several women in accounts published last week.
Sex scandals are not a new phenomenon on Capitol Hill, which has seen more than a dozen members embroiled in controversies over the past decade, including Katie Hill of California, Cory Mills and Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Blake Farenthold of Texas, among others.
But several prominent former members – including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – have warned of a broader cultural problem.
“Every member of Congress knows not to let any junior staffer mess with Swalwell or Matt Gaetz. It's not a secret there,” McCarthy said Sunday on ABC's “This Week.”
Luna had pressed lawmakers to address alleged sexual misconduct at the Capitol. In February, he called on “predatory bigots” in Congress to leave office while complaining about the process for handling ethics complaints.
“It pisses me off because while some of us are working and busting our asses, these clowns are sexually harassing their own staff, doing illegal trash, insider trading, etc.,” Luna wrote at the time.
Luna said Monday she was encouraged to see bipartisan support for ousting Swalwell and Gonzales.
A former staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tuesday that the allegations against Swalwell have sparked conversations about doing more to help staff report sexual misconduct, such as reforming procedural rules that would allow staff to report any concerns directly to ethics panels, and about the need for ethics investigations to move more quickly.
“Congress has a short-term memory, that's the difficulty here,” the staffer said. “After these guys leave their seats, there needs to be a concerted and consistent effort for the reforms to take hold and become permanent.”
